Time is a rare commodity for the FIU community. Marathon study sessions, grading dozens of essays and implementing new initiatives leave little time to take care of personal business, and sometimes even get a bite to eat.

Starting this fall, shopFIU is offering a handful of new services that will help you conquer your to-do list. As an added bonus, you won’t need to give up your valuable parking space.

New services

GT ECO Car wash is replacing Pronto and is available in the Gold and Panther Garages, PG5 and at Biscayne Bay Campus (BBC) soon. For more information and pricing, visit shopFIU .

EXN Nutrition is now open in PG 6. The store carries the widest selection of vitamins, minerals and sports nutrition products. For more information, visit FIU shopFIU.

Car services and maintenance (including oil changes) are available at both BBC and MMC. To schedule an appointment online or for pricing, visit shopFIU .

And finally, Vicky’s café– a new concept from Vicky’s Bakery is scheduled to open in September. Located in the Frost Art Museum, the café will be a hangout spot for the community during the day and into the evening. For more information, visit shopFIU .

ShopFIU is also mobile. The shopFIU app – available through the Apple store or Google Play – features updated hours of operation and promotions only available in the app. Keep your bluetooth turned on to receive great offers from dining and retail establishments when you’re near the venues on campus.

An added benefit available this fall is Tapingo, an app that allows you to order food from campus restaurants and schedule a pickup in advance. To get started, download the app from the Apple store or Google Play, and use your FIU username and password to log in.

More than convenience

Shops and services on campus are more than just about convenience, though. Universities across the country are investing in retail stores to improve student retention.

“Students who find the right dining and retail stores on campus have a better college experience,” says University Business Magazine’s products editor Lauren Williams in a 2014 article.

Assistant Vice President of Business Services Rudy Villa says that’s the underlying purpose of his team. “We try to offer services that enhance the quality of student life,” he says. “If we do that, we’re steps ahead of having a good retention rate – they’ll have everything they need.”

Because a good college experience improves the probability that a student will be more committed to the university and their degree, Business Services does extensive research on what current and prospective students like and don’t like.

What are the dining trends? Retail habits? Needs? The answers to these questions help determine what will keep FIU students on campus – a challenging task when you consider the university is located in the Miami metropolis.

For more information on other dining, retail and services at FIU, visit shopFIU.