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Extreme Makeover: Retail Edition

Summer is a time for change. After a four-month hiatus, we all want to come back to school looking better than we did in May, when finals left us in the fetal position on the floor of Van Pelt. You may have noticed that a girl from your freshman hall got a nose job, or that Dubois got a facelift or that the Love Statue is super shiny.

This summer, campus retail got a makeover, too. While some changes were for the better, others were most certainly for the worst. Let's discuss.

Now: Furniture Lifestyle Then: Eastern Mountain Sports Verdict: Upgrade. While we understand the need for mountain sport equipment in rugged West Philly, we like couches a lot. Plus, EMS just moved to 34th and Chestnut, lest you need a kayak or the like.

Now: Verizon Then: Cereality Verdict: Downgrade. Sure, it was a little overpriced, but oatmeal + Nutella was pretty much the best thing ever. And do we seriously need another phone store on that block?

Now: Taglio Then: Savory Verdict: Upgrade. Savory was the worst, and pizza by the Gia people sounds promising. We wish Penn would have let them take Dining Dollars though.

Now: Hershey's Ice Cream Then: Jamba Juice Verdict: Downgrade. Jamba Juice smoothies have like a billion calories in them. But they're delicious. And, confusingly, Hershey's Ice Cream is not affiliated with Hershey's Chocolate.

Now: Not Izzy and Zoe's Then: Izzy and Zoe's Verdict: Draw. Izzy's has been closed for months...but a peek inside the window reveals that the space hasn't been cleared out yet. We're confused. Will they be reopening any time soon? We want some matzoh brie, but we can do without the mouse sightings.

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