In the article ‘Bricks’ Still Strong in a ‘Clicks’ World, published in NACS’ June 17 edition of the Campus Marketplace e-newsletter by Michael von Glahn, Editor of The College Store magazine, CAMEX attendees identified a list of both positive and negative issues affecting the collegiate retail industry.

Expanding on these ideas, MBS brings you a week-long series addressing several of these concerns and providing solutions as to how your store can enhance key strengths, minimize weaknesses, take advantage of opportunities, and reposition possible threats

Along with the near-constant changes that affect the collegiate retail industry come wonderful opportunities. Your store must be in a position to adapt ahead of the curve to not only protect your margins from emerging competitors and other challenges, but more importantly, to continue fulfilling the needs of your student customers.

As your partner, we’re here to make that goal as easy as possible to achieve. Because our primary objective is your success, we take pride in equipping your store with the retail solutions you need to stay on top of emerging trends so you can be an industry leader rather than a follower.

Here are three areas we can help enhance your operation:

•Opportunity: E-commerce

Offering an online option for your students is an excellent way to extend the reach of your brand. But, you’re not the only retailer taking this approach so your e-commerce site has to stand out from the crowd.

MBS Systems inSite powers your store to effectively contend with other retailers looking to gain your student customers’ business. Our client representatives work with you to create a custom-branded site that will catch your student’s attention.

Plus, when students purchase products from your inSite page, they have the ability to return it in-store, quickly and conveniently. And, no other online retailer in the industry can offer that!

inSite allows your customers to:

•Shop online anytime

•View items and shop easily from their smartphones

•Use student financial aid

•Purchase and reserve their textbooks

•Select in-store merchandise

•Create a wish list of desired items

•Redeem loyalty points

•Share their favorite merchandise across social media sites

•Recommend merchandise with easy product reviews

Faculty members can also use the application to browse textbooks and submit adoptions through Faculty Center Network.

inSite allows your faculty to:

•Access bibliographic information on more than 900,000 textbook titles

•Seamlessly compile adoption lists

•Email adoption lists directly to your store

Many stores worry that e-commerce solutions will be difficult to implement or maintain. inSite, however, doesn’t require any extensive hardware, software, or maintenance and automatically updates any activity in all of your MBS applications.

It’s also a fully integrated part of your total store solution. Any retail activity is automatically and immediately reflected in all of your MBS applications, including your text management system, POS system and general merchandise application.

For more information on how MBS Systems inSite can help your store develop a web presence, contact systems@mbsbooks.com

•Opportunity: Mobile commerce

From freshmen orientation to football games, students are on the move. And now, your store can be too! Don’t wait for the traffic to come to you; bring your store to the students with the MBS iTouch POS Terminal solution.

Combining the powerful MBS POS and Electronic Payment System application with the sleek, intuitive interface of Apple’s iPod Touch, this lightweight mobile computing solution resides within an ergonomic sled that includes a scanner and magnetic strip reader.

The MBS iTouch POS Terminal provides your store with the capability to:

•Accept both credit card and gift card payments

•Wirelessly print a receipt

•Suspend transactions for line-busting

•Offer customers a more user-friendly and engaging purchase experience

Better yet, it’s easy to operate! Because the MBS iTouch POS Terminal runs the same software as the MBS POS for traditional cash registers, the device has essentially the same functionality as the MBS POS register. The MBS iTouch POS Terminal is cost-effective, as well, at as little as half the cost of other mobile POS solutions.

Contact your MBS Systems Representative or email systems@mbsbooks.com to learn more about how your store can go mobile.

•Opportunity: Disclosure/Price transparency

Consumers are more educated than ever before, and often shop around to find the best prices, sometimes even shopping on-line competitors while in your store. Satisfy student demands by offering price transparency and options through affiliates.

With the enhanced MBS Systems inSite Price Compare feature, your store can easily recapture students’ sales. By seamlessly integrating pricing and availability from the leading online retailers directly on your site, you can increase the chances that students will stay right where you want them.

It’s time to take back your market share! The enhanced MBS Systems inSite Price Comparison feature makes it easy to increase your competitive edge and powers your store to satisfy consumer demands by providing students with more information.

The MBS Systems inSite Price Compare feature powers your store to:

•Provide better value to students with competitive pricing

•Display your choice of affiliates

•Gain affiliate revenues for your store

•Take back your online market share

For more information on how MBS can expand your online opportunities, contact your Systems Sales Representative or send questions to systems@mbsbooks.com for more information.

Join us tomorrow as we detail how your store can turn possible threats into positives in our last installment of the series – don’t miss it!

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