Hoodies, champagne and pastry: the HSG shop sells a piece of university life

There is an unwritten rule amongst HSG students: you don’t wear the HSG hoodie until you’ve passed the assessment year. The hoodie is a kind of accolade – and, at the same time, one of the best-selling items in the HSG shop. In the shop in the library building, modelled on US colleges, there is a wide range of products bearing the HSG logo: from socks, tennis and golf balls, office supplies and umbrellas, right through to food, bags and wallets.

“Alongside the hoodie, our top three bestsellers are HSG champagne and HSG baseball caps,” says Susanne Knaus. The 41-year-old has been managing the HSG Shop since December 2025. She works in the shop herself every day and interacts directly with customers. “Our five student staff members are also particularly important to me. They are my link to the students and help me understand which products go down well with them.”

The hoodie has now come to define the HSG community even beyond the student body: since early 2026, new staff members joining the university have received an HSG hoodie as a welcome gift.

The shop as a small business at HSG

The fact that entrepreneurial thinking is a top priority at HSG is also evident in the shop itself. It is organised as a limited liability company (GmbH), operates independently, pays rent for shop and storage premises, and employs a total of seven staff members – including Knaus, who works full-time. “At the same time, we make a point of sourcing our products as sustainably and locally as possible. That comes at a price,” she says. The shareholders of the GmbH are HSG and HSG alumni.

In practical terms, sustainability means that all textiles are produced in Europe and are certified to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). When it comes to food, the shop relies on local partnerships. For example, the St. Gallen-based Gschwend bakery produced a limited-edition HSG Easter bunny for Easter 2026. The range also includes pralines from Praliné Scherrer and chocolate from Bonneheure, a chocolate shop founded by an HSG graduate.

Products for the shop are also created within the university itself. The School of Computer Science uses a 3D printer to produce true-to-scale miniatures of the sculpture by Josef Felix Müller, the original of which is on display in the library building.

HSG Bear in a Hoodie

“We’re open to new ideas and can also produce smaller quantities through our suppliers,” says Knaus. Among the shop’s key customer groups are the HSG institutes, which use the shop for small client gifts. Graduation Days are also a particularly strong source of revenue. “Many students pick up a souvenir before leaving the university after graduation.” Of course, the shop also has an online presence, but most items are sold in the traditional way in-store.

Knaus herself has a keen interest in fashion. She regularly attends fashion shows in the region and also contributes her creativity to the further development of the product range. She learnt the retail trade from the ground up: following an apprenticeship in retail, she held various positions in the textile trade, including at Bonita.

She has no shortage of ideas for new products. Among other things, there are plans for a bear as the HSG mascot, which will, of course, be wearing a hoodie.

Click here to visit the HSG shop.