Paws & Go, the convenience store located on the South 40, opened the new school year with an inventory overhaul and price hikes, with some items topping $26 when converted to dollars.

Colloquially known as Paws, the store serves as a grocery store for many first-year and sophomore students housed on the South 40. 

Director of Dining Services Tiffany De La Roche said the cost of food at Paws & Go was “not necessarily too high.”

Student Life investigated the cost of food at Paws & Go to determine the validity of student concerns over price. To do so, the Schnucks supermarket location on Clayton Road was used as a reference. The store is a 20-minute walk from the South 40, or a nine-minute bus ride on the South Campus Shuttle from Mallinckrodt Bus Plaza. Of the 167 items researched at Paws, 107 of those are for sale at both Schnucks and Paws & Go. 

A student on the Gold Plan pays $1.31 for every meal point they receive. For the following calculations, each meal point cost was multiplied by 1.31 to determine the price in dollars. Students on the Platinum Plan pay slightly less at $1.21 per meal point, while others pay even more with $1.39 per meal point on the Silver Plan and $1.55 per meal point on the Off-Campus Plan. 

Of the items compared, Paws & Go charges an average of 2.4 times more than Schnucks for the exact same product.

Not all students are happy with the redesign and new prices.

“It hasn’t improved anything. It’s about the same or worse,” said sophomore Ilan Kliman. “It’s frustrating to see my money go away so fast.”

Some of the most common items consumed by students have some of the largest markups noted. Chips and snacks cost an average of 2.7 times the price at Schnucks, bars 2.7 times, and cereal 2.9 times.

Meanwhile, produce is almost 2.5 times and meals and frozen food are 2.3 times. Finally, baked goods are 2.2 times, dairy products just over 2 times, drinks 1.7 times, and desserts 1.7 times the price. 

The fresh foods offered in Paws & Go have some of the most significant price differences for individual items. For example, a banana costs 0.99 meal points while the same banana costs an average of $0.19 from Schnucks. After converting the Paws & Go price to dollars,  the price of the Paws banana is nearly 7 times more than that of the Schnucks banana. Other significant upcharges include bell peppers (5 times the price) and eggs (4 times the price). 

Immaculate Baking Cinnamon Rolls, Rao’s Marinara Sauce, and Multi-Grain Cheerios had the biggest markup in prices of $15, $15.58, and $13.69 each. Only four items were found to be cheaper when compared to Schnucks.

It should be noted that some items at Paws & Go are sold in individual packaging, compared to a box at Schnucks. For example, Builders Bars are sold individually at Paws & Go and as part of a six-pack at Schnucks. For fair comparison, the price per individual item (e.g., one protein bar) was used, not the overall cost of the entire pack. This mostly affects the data observed in the “bars” section of items.

Additionally, some produce items are sold by the pound at Schnucks, so the average weight of those products was used for our calculations. For example, we treated an apple’s weight as one-third of a pound to calculate its price in comparison to the amount charged at Paws & Go. 

De La Roche said the changes to Paws & Go were part of a rebrand aimed at recreating a market experience, specifically referencing Straub’s and Whole Foods. 

“We’ve taken the approach to have a lighter feel with the fresh fruit, fresh produce, the local program, the spotlight on kosher, obviously, and the special dietary options,” De La Roche said.

More than 50 items sold at Paws & Go were not found at Schnucks. These include local vendors like Hank’s Cheesecakes and kosher speciality items like J&J Dairy products, among others. Some students found the change positive.

“They’re supporting local businesses this year,” said sophomore Annie Chen. “I feel like I should shop here more often because of that.”

Other students emphasized appreciation for the quality of products offered at Paws & Go.

“They seem to have very lovely, fresh, and healthy options. I’m excited to explore more, too,” said first-year Britta Nilsson. “I was surprised they have a bunch of whole wheat breads and whatnot.” 

Not all students share the concern over high prices emphasized by students like Kliman.

“I have heard that it’s a little overpriced, but it is OK because it’s kind of like an airport where you don’t really have anywhere else to go,” Nilsson said. 

In response to students’ concerns, Dining Services noted that several items in Paws & Go — like pomegranates in a cup — are more convenient than those found at grocery stores. 

“We have certain observations or assumptions on our end about what a first-year experience is,” said Raven Lumpkins, director of strategic initiatives and communication for University Services. “We’re not assuming you all are coming with steak knives and different types of setup to cut open things, so we’re also thinking about it from a convenience standpoint.” 

De La Roche affirmed Lumpkins’ statement.

“I didn’t consider the price impact that it may feel like for students. I looked at the convenience of it,” De La Roche said. 

De La Roche continued by emphasizing the distinct operational structure of WashU and the University’s weaker bargaining power in comparison to larger chains like Schnucks or Whole Foods. 

“Those producers have a lot more buying power, and they’re able to do things differently than we would be able to do from our standpoint,” De La Roche said. “When it comes to discounts and when it comes to different things that they receive, we don’t always receive that, and so we have to price appropriately based on those.”

Lumpkins said the operational logistics of Paws & Go also play a factor.

“We are not operating on the same models,” Lumpkins said. “That includes how we staff, how many hours we’re able to be open, all the decisions that we are making for the entire service of dining.”

Dining Services encouraged students to submit feedback about the changes to Paws & Go through a form on their website.

“Especially in these first 40 days, we need to know what [your] experience is,” Lumpkins said. “I’m not saying drag us through the mud, but I am saying definitely give us the feedback so that we can make the adjustments and find the right product for you all.”