By blending physical retail with textbook solutions, campus stores find new ways to stay relevant, improve student experience, and drive growth. We sat down with Ryan Miller, Campus Store Director at Alfred State College, to discuss the hybrid store model and how it works at the Alfred State Bookstore.
The hybrid model offers college stores a flexible solution to meet current collegiate retail challenges. Through this approach, campus stores like the Alfred State Bookstore continue to self-operate with the MBS system supporting the on-campus retail operations. Course materials are exclusively sold on the school-branded BNC Virtual online bookstore. This allows the store to utilize the full retail space while also giving the store the option of in-store distribution to help maintain rush foot traffic.
“We’re a hybrid store — that’s what we pride ourselves on,” Miller said. “I’ve been in my role for four years and before that I was with the dining offices as the director of dining and director for retail. I think in the textbook arena people are trying to reduce costs, so to be successful in the business, we have to align with those campus priorities.”
This approach isn’t just a trend. It’s a strategic response to shifting student needs, rising costs, and the growing importance of eCommerce.
Aligning Retail Strategy With Campus Priorities
Alignment is everything. From merchandise selection to marketing campaigns, every decision must connect back to the institution.
“School spirit is at the top of that list. With the spirit shop, we have much better control over the products that are brought in and can work directly with the departments to offer customized options. It’s definitely a successful area for us,” Miller said.
Understanding the needs of both the campus community as well as the larger community around them allows the store to take strategic action with the products they offer. By prioritizing school pride and working directly with campus departments, hybrid stores can offer more meaningful, customized products, creating stronger connections with students and prospective families.
“Health and beauty aids are also big for us. We’re in a rural area and offering those daily needs items at a convenient location helps a lot,” Miller said. “We also work with the various sports to bring in the shirts and items they want us to sell. Prospective students and their families can purchase signing day merchandise. We try to understand what our customers want. For example, the Carhartt brand is a big seller for us. We keep all of this in mind when making decisions.”
Letting Data Drive Decisions
With the MBS system’s robust analytics platform, stores can take a more strategic, data-driven approach to merchandising.
“I keep a close eye on buyer trends, seeing what’s moving and what’s not, then making a plan to adjust. You might need to bring more attention to an item by repositioning it in the store or moving it to clearance,” Miller said. “Also, sometimes you have to recognize when an item is a limited run. We did a Hawaiian shirt, and it went really well, but I don’t keep bringing it back in. I give it a break, so when I bring it back, it is exciting again and builds momentum.”
This kind of decision-making maximizes sell-through and keeps the shopping experience dynamic.
“With MBS Arc, we can track trends, compare sales to previous months or years, and move merchandise over to our website easily,” Miller said. “With MBS inSite, we can redesign the website to be more in line with the school so students can easily identify who we are. These tools help us stay competitive and make data-driven decisions.”
eCommerce Isn’t Optional
The rapid growth of online purchasing has pushed campus stores to invest more time in their online presence.
“Online is where sales are growing, so promoting that as much as possible is critical,” Miller said. “I always run a monthly online discount to help drive traffic.”
With clear goals like increasing online sales by 24%, the store treats eCommerce as a primary growth channel, not just a supplement.
“Students today are more likely to scroll from their rooms than start a face-to-face conversation, so your website has to do the selling,” Miller said. “It’s vital that almost everything in your store is available online for easy pickup.”
At the same time, physical stores still play an essential role — especially when they provide convenience, such as everyday essentials in rural campuses.
“Online convenience plus in-store experience — that’s where the growth is,” Miller said.
How MBS Enables Hybrid Success
A strong hybrid strategy is only possible with the right partner — and that’s where MBS comes in.
MBS facilitates the hybrid model through the solutions available to schools. MBS provides in-store collegiate retail systems and eCommerce solutions as well as direct-to-student or direct-to-store textbook fulfillment via a virtual bookstore through BNC Virtual. This hybrid solution has helped the Alfred State Bookstore unlock new opportunities:
1. Expanded Retail Space
“Going virtual with textbooks increases your square footage for merchandise right away,” Miller said.
Removing the need to stock large volumes of physical textbooks frees up valuable space for higher-margin retail and spirit merchandise.
2. Endless Aisle Capabilities
“There are so many textbook options now that trying to stock everything isn’t realistic,” Miller said.
Through BNC Virtual, stores can offer a wide range of textbook formats and options without the cost and administrative overhead of managing inventory.
3. Seamless Fulfillment and Traffic Generation
Programs like consolidated shipping and campus pickup create a win-win:
“Free shipping to campus creates foot traffic. We offer store pickups in the back, so customers move through the store and have a chance to see the merchandise we offer,” Miller said.
This approach blends digital convenience with in-store engagement.
Communication and Relationships Still Matter
While technology is transforming retail, relationships remain at the heart of campus store success. When looking to make a switch to a hybrid solution, the campus store’s role will be to function as the on-campus course material expert and liaison.
“Don’t rely only on automated messaging. Continue to work with campus partners to get the message out about course materials, whether adoptions or the online bookstore opening,” Miller said. “Work with the student success center to get the message out. Keep up relationships with departments and faculty because you will facilitate those relationships and adoptions.”
Strong faculty communication is especially important when getting timely adoptions. Miller’s best advice for getting timely adoptions is to take a more personal approach when necessary.
“You can get more done in one phone call than in three or four emails. Sometimes I’ll send a screenshot of what they adopted previously and ask if they want to reuse it. It simplifies the process,” Miller said.
