<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=08V8bx_1Gq14MZ900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=08V8bx_1Gq14MZ900" width="1280" height="853" ><figcaption>Prep and Save sells anything you could need in case of an emergency, everything from emergency water to pepper ball guns and compact launchers. The first store opened in Reno, Nevada, in 1983 and expanded to Upland in 2015. / photo by Anisa Salazar</figcaption></figure>Miguel NavarroStaff WriterThe city of Upland is home to the retail store Prep and Save, which is known for its unique survival products.Prep and Save’s mission is to prepare people for unexpected disasters and hope to educate the world about the importance of prepping.“It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it,” store manager Kyla Hernandez said.The first store opened in Reno, Nevada, in 1983 and expanded to Upland in 2015.Many of the customers refer to themselves as preppers. These are people who gather survival supplies in case of emergency.The owner of Prep and Save, Keith Hillen, helped make the store a reality over 40 years ago.After learning about what prepping was from Paul Lessard, the first Prep and Save opened. Today, Lessard is the operations manager and store manager for the Nevada location.Lessard and Hillen cited the book titled “One Second After” that fueled their desire to share prepping with others.They believe that people need to take more initiative in preparing themselves for disasters.“We got to get the word out and tell people they need to get prepared now and not wait until the last second,” Lessard said.Lessard used the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of how quickly things can change.“We sold out of food multiple times, and we had people show up with haulers, and they bought thousands of dollars worth of food,” Lessard said.During this period, survival stores saw a surge in sales due to the uncertainty of how long the quarantine would last. With people coming in large groups, they had to create a system to ensure safety.“It was getting kind of crazy–we had shutters go around, and we had everything closed except the side door, and we let two people in at a time,” Hillen said.Prep and Save offers a wide variety of survival products that include emergency kits, water drums and classroom teacher kits.Some of these products can serve different uses. For example, a pepper ball gun can be used for protection, survival food and 30-day water storage for rations.At the Upland location, there is an emphasis on Prep and Save to educate their customers and create a welcoming environment.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2DlwT3_1Gq14MZ900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2DlwT3_1Gq14MZ900" width="1280" height="853" ><figcaption>Freeze-dried emergency food supply and outdoor meal kits are available for purchase at Prep and Save in Upland. This retail store sells a variety of items that focus on emergency preparation and survival. / photo by Anisa Salazar</figcaption></figure>Store manager Hernandez has spent 4 years working at Prep and Save and talked about an emphasis on how important the environment of the store is.“A lot of people will come in, and they are very shy, so it’s interesting seeing people open up to us,” Hernandez said.An average day for the store can be decided based on what is broadcast on the news.Sales depend on the temperature around the world or if there is a natural disaster.“Honestly, there are no normal days here, every day is different,” Hernandez said.For Prep and Save employees, being educated on their products and survival topics is essential for their job. Employees can pass the information along to customers and motivate future preppers.“It was a huge focus for me to understand all the products that we have because when people come in here, they do ask questions,” retail associate Lisette Hanson said.Since Prep and Save has only a few stores nationwide, it needs to differentiate itself from larger chain retailers.Professor of marketing at the University of La Verne Frank Fialho says it is important to be an expert in the product you are selling.“A small store with people there could be the expert…we like to be around people who are experts,” Fialho said.For a store like Prep and Save to stay in business for over 40 years, being different sets them apart.Their ability to make connections with their customers is important to them.“That makes them unique to help somebody else out,” Fialho said.As Prep and Save continues business in Upland, their mission of inspiring preppers continues.Miguel Navarro can be reached at miguel.navarro@laverne.edu.Miguel Navarro is a senior journalism major with a concentration in broadcast journalism, and is a staff writer for the Campus Times. He also serves as a broadcaster at the University of La Verne, and he hopes to one day work in sports media.Anisa Salazar is a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations. She is sports editor, social media editor and a staff photographer for the Campus Times. She previously served as a staff writer.</div></body>

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The city of Upland is home to the retail store Prep and Save, which is known for its unique survival products. Prep and Save’s mission is to prepare people for unexpected disasters and hope to educate the world about the importance of prepping. “It’s better to have it and...

Survival store preps for emergency

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The city of Upland is home to the retail store Prep and Save, which is known for its unique survival products. Prep and Save’s mission is to prepare people

Survival store preps for emergency

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