The first bookstore was organized to serve the needs of the students and faculty of the University. It was financed by the Associated Students of the University and opened for business in 1916 in a rented house on the corner of 13th Avenue and Kincaid Street, the site of the present store. In 1918, at the end of World War I, the ASUO found themselves in dire financial straits and were forced to sell the bookstore to druggist Sidney Allen. At this time, they made an agreement with Allen that stipulated they would not attempt to operate another bookstore for a period of two years.
By 1920, it became clear that change was necessary. Students and faculty needed a bookstore with a more central location and an adequate inventory of books. To meet this need, a University supporter from Portland, stationer J.K. Gill, set up the University of Oregon Cooperative Store on a line of credit. To help finance this enterprise, a separate corporation called the University Supply Company was set up to raise capital. Certificates of stock were sold to department heads and faculty at $100 per share. University President Prince Lucien Campbell was one prominent investor. By 1933, the store was successful enough to buy back all its remaining stock and the University Supply Company dissolved. Since that time, the University of Oregon Bookstore/The Duck Store has been financially independent.
During these transitional years, the bookstore moved locations quite a few times. In 1923, the University of Oregon Cooperative Store moved into the lower third of The College Side Building (also known as the Wilcox Building) on 13th and Kincaid. Here, the UO Cooperative Store continued to grow and expand its merchandise offering to the University community.
In 1939, the store moved from 13th and Kincaid to the lower floor of Chapman Hall. This location gave the University of Oregon Cooperative Store a comparatively spacious 7000 square feet of space which included a partial balcony and a small sub-basement for storage. The Cooperative signed a twenty year lease for the space, extending through 1959.
After World War II and the Korean War, enrollments increased steadily with the influx of veterans using their GI benefits. The Co-op needed more space to fulfill their new demand. The decision was made by the Board of Directors to buy the College Side Inn. In 1959, a five year lease extension was signed with the University to continue using the Chapman Hall space until the construction for the new location was complete.
Known as the Co-op Annex, the two story cinder block building was completed in 1961 and housed the course book and general book departments. General merchandise and school supplies were sold at the Chapman Hall location; art supplies were sold at a small branch store in Lawrence Hall.
An expansion of the Annex began in 1965 and was completed in March of 1966. The new store was three floors and 36,000 square feet. All retail was now available at this location.
Enrollment rose again with the arrival of the baby boomer generation and what was once a spacious 36,000 feet of space now seemed cramped. In 1984, the University of Oregon Bookstore undertook a major, store-wide remodeling project in order to increase retail space, improve operational efficiency and modernize the appearance of the store. The store renovation along with the purchasing of a processing center put the bookstore in step with the times.
At the request of the University of Oregon, the bookstore began to expand its retail operations so as to better serve the University community. It now has five other satellite locations throughout the Eugene and Portland areas.
In 2007, the University of Oregon Bookstore/The Duck Store changed names in order to more effectively support the students, faculty, staff and the mission of the University. Bookstore no longer accurately described the bookstore organization. The bookstore chose to combine two strong brands, the Duck Shop and the UO Bookstore into one organization: The Duck Store.
Since 1920 the University of Oregon Cooperative Store and its successor the University of Oregon Bookstore/The Duck Store has been serving the book and supply needs of the University of Oregon. Our decades of history with the University, Eugene/Springfield and Oregon has shaped the University of Oregon Bookstore/The Duck Store into a highly respected model among college bookstores nationwide.
In 1991, the University of Oregon Athletic Director, Bill Byrn, asked the University of Oregon Bookstore manager, Jim Williams, if we wanted to open a Duck Store at the new Casanova Center. The Bookstore was given only 850 square feet of space; it quickly became evident that the Bookstore would need more space to provide the necessary services to their Casanova customers.
Shortly after the Rose Bowl in 1994, Jim Williams mentioned to ex-UO Athletic Department Director, Bill Moos, how more space would be beneficial for the new Duck Store. Awhile later, an architect from WBGS who was involved in the Moshofsky project contacted Jim Williams about a sizable increased in space. This sizable remodel upgraded the Duck Shop from 850 to approximately 2300 square feet.
Since the opening of the Autzen Duck Store, it has provided an alternative location for students, faculty and alumni to find all their Oregon sportswear & gift needs. While shopping, customers can even enjoy an espresso drink from the second Duck Stop location, opened after the remodel.
The Duck Store opened a seasonal kiosk in the Valley River Mall after 2001 and found Duck fans loved the convenience of shopping their favorite Oregon merchandise at the local Eugene mall.
After a full season of football and basketball, the Duck Shop opened a permanent location providing the high quality merchandise and customer service our loyal customers were accustomed to at the Campus Duck Store and our other Duck Store locations. The VRC Duck Store selection includes standard collegiate classics as well as fresh new styles for men, women and children.
The Duck Store in Portland is in the White Stag Block Complex, the new center for the University of Oregon's Portland programs. The store is located at the corner of NW Naito Parkway and Couch Street in Old Town Portland. This location is a year-round retail shop open seven days a week. In addition to offering Portland's largest selection of Oregon Duck sportswear, gifts and memorabilia. The Duck Store in Portland features an espresso bar serving Stumptown coffee and snacks plus a wide variety of student services and supplies.
The popularity of our first mall Duck Store at the Valley River Center prompted The Duck Store to continue this trend by opening a seasonal kiosk in 2002 at the Washington Square Mall. Each following year we opened a seasonal location to meet the growing demand for the Duck Shop's quality merchandise.
In the winter of 2005, a permanent Duck Store was built in the new expansion of the Washington Square Mall. This store's design focuses on providing only the finest University of Oregon attire, game gear and merchandise.
You can find us three doors down from Nordstrom's. Go Ducks!!!
Bend is one of the fastest growing cities in America and we recognized the need to put a store where our customers reside. So, in the summer of 2006 we opened our seventh Duck Store location in the Old Mill District Shopping Center.
To continue our relationship with the University of Oregon, this store supports the local branch of the Duck Athletic Fund by providing space for a Bend office. Drop on by and stay connected to the University by supporting the Ducks.
You can find our Bend Duck Store next to the event ticket booth and Pac-Sun.
In 1999, during the construction of the Knight Law School, representatives from the school came to the Duck Stop and asked the The Duck Store's coffee shop to open a branch in the new building. The Law School wanted to be able to provide their students with some of the convenient services available at The Duck Store, without having to make their students walk to the opposite side of campus.
The Duck Store looked at this request as an opportunity to extend our mission; it was a way to serve a new part of campus and partner with the Law School for exceptional service.
The Court Café sells coffee and beverages, food ranging from granola and bagels to microwavable organic dinner entrées, convenient law course packets & selected books and more. There are also faxing and photo developing services available. For no extra charge, the Court Café Duck Stop will take your film to the photo center at the Digital Duck and have them waiting for students after developing.
In 2005, at the request of the University of Oregon, the Duck Store opened a store in the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. Unlike many other Duck Store locations, this store did not have a focus on traditional University related merchandise but rather concentrated on product which reflected the museum's art collection.
In 2006, the Duck Store's Museum Store was expanded and renamed Precious Cargo in reference to the name Gertrude Bass Warner had given her initial collection at the inception of the museum. This expansion allowed the Duck Store to bring in a selection of gifts and merchandise that catered to a visually minded audience with a focus on unique ceramics, jewelry, books, and children's items. With its increased space, Precious Cargo was also able to partner with Coburg's Dotson's Antiques and offer a variety of antique consignment items including framed art pieces, furniture and netsuke.
Next time you're looking for that unique gift, you can find us at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art in the center of the University of Oregon campus. Become an art museum member, and enjoy a 10% discount on your purchases.
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