Choice Stores for Higher Education
Give students, donors, alumni, and employees the power to choose the branded merch that’s right for them.
Instead of sending the same item to everyone, a choice store lets recipients select from a curated collection. Magellan makes this easy for your team by managing the store, product sourcing, fulfillment, and data reporting.
What Is a Choice Store?
A choice store is an online, branded merch experience where recipients choose an item from a curated collection.
Colleges and universities use choice stores for student recruitment, donor stewardship, alumni engagement, employee recognition, milestone celebrations, and rebranding initiatives.
Why Choice Stores Work
See what recipients choose, and use those insights to see engagement results and inform future outreach, campaigns, and product decisions.
With products kept on hand, orders can be fulfilled quickly, keeping the experience timely and the excitement fresh.
A custom online store aligned with your institution’s brand creates a polished, personalized experience from selection through delivery.
Giving recipients a choice increases the likelihood they’ll value and use their branded merch, keeping your institution top of mind.
Letting recipients choose what they want can help reduce unwanted merch and make each item more likely to be used.
Magellan manages the store, inventory, fulfillment, and shipping, reducing the logistical work for your team.
How Higher Ed Uses Choice Stores
Student Recruitment
Build excitement or influence next steps among admitted and committed students before they arrive on campus. .
Donor Stewardship
Create a more personal donor experience and use branded merch to recognize or incentivize giving.
Employee/
Volunteer Recognition
Recognize the people who support your institution with branded merch they choose themselves.
Milestone Celebrations
Mark admission, reunions, memberships, loyalty or leadership giving, and campus events.
Rebranding Initiatives
Introduce a new brand while letting your community choose the merch that fits them best.
Real Results
See how colleges and universities are using choice stores to engage students, steward donors, and create more meaningful branded merch experiences.
- Multi-Touch Recruitment
Challenge: Creating Consistent Engagement Across the Admissions Journey Lawrence University set out to solve a broader challenge than any single
- Brand Visibility, Improved Yield, Lasting Usability, Milestone Celebration
- Apparel, Choice Store, Direct Mail, Fulfillment, Kits, Packaging
- Donor & Advancement Initiatives
Challenge: Rethinking How Institutions Thank Their Donors Cornell University wanted to rethink the traditional “give-to-get” alumni engagement strategy for alumni
- Brand Visibility, Increased Giving, Lasting Usability
- Choice Store, Sustainable Products
- Connecting Students to Campus
Challenge: Maintaining Momentum After Events While Supporting Counselors on the Road As Marquette University focused on attracting admitted students from
- Improved Yield
- Apparel, Choice Store, Fulfillment, Slate/CRM, Stickers
What Higher Ed Marketers Are Saying
Insights & Ideas
Explore what we’re learning as colleges and universities use choice stores across enrollment, advancement, and alumni engagement.
- Enrollment - Full-Funnel Strategies
Ready to Build Your Choice Store?
We’ll help you build a choice store around your audience, goals, and budget.