Last updated on November 21, 2025
May 25 — The Hampstore significantly reduced its stock of grocery items beginning in early February. This drastic cutback notably included the removal of many products required for cooking multi-serving meals, but other items like face masks and classroom supplies were also affected.
According to Hampstore manager Tammy Ryan, the reduction of merchandise was a result of Hampshire leadership’s decision to transition the location away from a grocery store towards a campus store which will hopefully focus on “swag and snacks” for the next academic year. She explained that the former function of the Hampstore as a part of the college’s “flawed meal plan” was financially unsustainable.
The effect of these cuts has negatively affected students like Atlas McVickar, F22, a student worker at the student-run Mixed Nuts co-op. They noted a surge of foot traffic in Mixed Nuts following the rollback of culinary items at the Hampstore. McVickar agreed with Ryan that Hampshire has a flawed meal plan, but argued the cuts would limit “the already limited amount of food we have on campus”. They also noted the disproportionate impact this is having for students lacking access to frequent meals at the Dining Commons. Both McVickar and Ryan encouraged active input from students in developing an equitable meal plan that is welcomed by the entirety of the campus community. In the meantime, Ryan stressed that her team is working with Mixed Nuts and the Hampshire College farm to ameliorate the impact of the recent decisions.
Leapfrog reached out to Nick Mason, Senior Director of Auxiliary/Dining Services, but he did not respond to a request for comment.
REVIEWED BY: Blaise Paine, Phe O’Leary, Ryan Nivus, Kenzie Doherty
