Search Engage

There are a number of issues that would arise should all the cafes and outlets on campus come under LUU ownership, surrounding essential considerations like choice and costs. Put simply, this proposal essentially argues for the establishment of a monopoly of the campus market. In practice, this will mean the following:
1. Less choice for students who use campus outlets to grab a coffee, buy their lunch, or do their weekly shop. Leeds students are a deeply diverse group, and with that comes diverse needs, tastes and preferences. And variety is the spice of life, which means more choice is better for everyone.
2. Higher prices for cash-strapped students. A lack of competition means there is little incentive for outlets to work to keep costs down as far as possible, because the convenience of their campus location means they’ll retain much of their existing business regardless of price. We’ve already seen the price of a meal deal at the LUU Co-op significantly surpass that of the Tesco one, which makes turning the Calverley Street Tesco Express into a second Co-op nonsensical for students on a budget. While meal deals aren’t the be-all and end-all, this recent change is a good demonstration of the price disparity that can exist between different outlets, and therefore the need for options on campus to suit all budgets - but with a focus on affordability.
3. Worse products and service. As above, no competition means very little incentive for outlets to innovate and improve continuously. This consideration encompasses the development of new products and improvement of services available, as well as the outlets’ customer service. As students we still deserve quality products and interactions, and a monopoly isn’t the way to achieve that.
4. The loss of loyalty schemes and their associated savings and perks. Numerous existing outlets have their own loyalty schemes with great savings and perks for students, including Tesco, Costa Coffee and Caffe Nero. Their loss will be a further hit to budgeting students.
At present, the combination of LUU-run outlets and those by external companies ensures there is healthy competition which leads to lower prices, better products and more choice for students. While the concerns raised around corporation tax and sustainability commitments are certainly valid and something that should be explored, the elimination of commercial competition on the Leeds campus is not the way to resolve this issue.

At LUU we want to bring the union to the students, you shouldn't have to trek across campus from your study session in the health sciences library to get your favourite (and cheapest) coffee, or for advice on any issues.

Currently, on campus the university operates 11 cafes under its own branding, 3 Caffe Neros, 1 Costa coffee and the Tesco on Calverley street.

Neither Caffe Nero nor Costa Coffee have committed to net zero emissions by 2030 as the University has in their recently published climate plan, so keeping these outlets is in direct conflict with their current sustainability commitments. Caffe Nero has also been under major scrutiny for having not paid corporation tax in the UK since 2007 on approximately £2 billion worth of sales (2018). Corporations like this are not in line with the values of LUU nor the recently developed values of the university, specifically integrity, and only contribute to the privatisation and commercialisation of our institution.

By allowing the union to operate and run these outlets, students would regain autonomy over their campus, as well as creating more student jobs while allowing LUU to provide its valuable help & support resources throughout the campus, not just within the main building. Currently, there is no room for students to have influence over the services provided to them at the university, but LUU ownership means that they would be subject to all of LUU’s democratically led processes as well as requests made by students. LUU will also be able to offer more affordable options and cater more effectively to lower income students.

It is proposed that LUU would provide both cafe services and help & support resources, where staff would be trained in both, giving them a range of training opportunities. LUU was the first students union to own its own Co-operative franchise, which aligns closely with the work and values of LUU, as well as giving the union and students full ownership of the outlet. The change from the Tesco currently on Calverly street to a Co-op would provide the same opportunities as the café outlets. All jobs currently held in these outlets would be redistributed throughout the university.

LUU as a charity, and therefore a not for profit organisation, puts all of its income back into providing the best possible student experience. By allowing LUU to take over these outlets, the university would allow for the development of what LUU can provide for students.

All staff working currently in these outlets would be redistributed throughout the university.