Downtown Winston-Salem is full of many shops and restaurants. A popular location is the intersection of Sixth and Trade streets.
The main store at Body and Soul holds boutique, jewelry, scarves, bags, and many other items as well. They also play music from around the world. There is the book area which carries popular and current books for up to 20 to 50 percent off of the cover price. The third part of the store is the gallery, and everything is hand made from Africa, and includes things such as home furnishings, sculptures, and pictures.
“We get a few student customers from different schools, and we are really diverse,” said Yvonne Ogbueze, a sales representative and a junior at Winston-Salem State.
Special Occasions, on N. Martin Luther King, Jr Dr. sells church supplies, greeting cards, collectibles, and Greek paraphernalia. Their specialty is books, says the store owner, Ed McCarter.
“Everything is geared toward African Americans,” McCarter said. They do not offer student discounts. During holidays, especially Christmas, they may carry items of ethnic nature, such as figurines, paintings, and Christmas cards. McCarter said most of the students who visit this store also have never been to a African American bookstore.
Another store which may suit students in the community is the HBCU store, downtown on Fifth Street.
“We specialize in branded apparel targeted more for HBCU alumni and fans for the universities,” said store president, Shannon Fuller.
They offer 10 percent discounts with the coupon found in the student directory.Fuller says they are excited for students being back.
“This time of year is definitely our busiest time of year.