It’s the place where Choaties go when they are finally released from the last class of the day. Once 3:00 rolls around, the entire Choate population enters the school store to grab a snack, a drink, purchase a highlighter, or just simply socialize with a friend. The store has become a new hot spot with its trendy Choate clothing, pantry of an enormous variety of food, and every necessity a student would need. It carries everything essential to dorm life - and more.Along with the standard collection of Choate paraphernalia, snacking items, and refrigerated section of the store, innovations this year have caught students’ eyes. Among these is the Burt’s Bees display, which includes a variety of natural health and beauty products. The growing popularity of these items spurred the store to carry the brand, experimenting with the success of the merchandise. The store will often do this with new products, but the staff also listens to requests from the students and teachers. Fun additions have been the card and holiday sections. The store tries to accommodate all needs and even offers decorations as well as wrapping supplies and balloons for birthdays or special occasions. What is sold in the store depends on the vendors, other schools, trade magazines, and, of course, the customers. Especially in regards to the school clothing, vendors often inform the store of the latest trends in the other schools they supply. The staff continually checks store websites for other schools and colleges in order to know what products they are carrying. Trade magazines inspire ideas for Choate merchandise, but the customer is the most influential in deciding what is to be sold in the store. The clothing is decided on with help from the vendors on the trends and colors, trying to keep traditional styles as well as implementing new designs.Textbooks are always the “hot items” during the beginning days of new terms, but the most popular items sold are, of course, in the food and beverage area. A selection of candy, chips, energy bars, and other favorite snacks is always available and in stock. The busiest time for the store illustrates this fact: when it’s 3:00 p.m. and no one liked the sit-down lunch meal everyone flocks to the store before heading to the Ex for their sport. Clothing is very popular during specific times of year such as Parents’ Weekend, Alumni Weekend, Second Visits Days, and Graduation, because everyone wants a “little piece of Choate” to show off at home.The store is planning on undergoing a complete renovation this summer. The transformation will make the area more spacious -- and further cement it as a hotspot for ChoateCard-wielding students.