The SDSU Bookstore’s relationship with students begins before classes start. Students need a reliable place where they can purchase their course materials, but great campus stores like the SDSU Bookstore offer so much more. The SDSU Bookstore educates freshman students and their families during orientations by giving them tips on how to save money on their course materials.
As course materials become increasingly complicated, the overall student experience during rush can influence how they see the campus store. Some students see the crowds and immediately decide to order online. Others brave the rush only to become frustrated when they can’t find what they need and have to wait in line for help. Recently, we spoke with several stores that have implemented textbook counter service to improve the student experience in their stores.
Students at community colleges often face a variety of challenges. From balancing work life, school life and family life to weathering financial hardships and covering living expenses, many students are one unplanned hurdle away from not being able to finish their degree. Campus resources that offer students academic or nonacademic lifelines can be the extra boost they need to make it through the week, the month, the year or all the way to graduation. Recently, Normandale Community College offered its students one such lifeline that showed how much their school and community cares about one another.
The Monroe Community College Bookstore in New York identified an opportunity to streamline students’ rush experience. In the 2018 fall term, they made two major changes to how they handled textbooks in their store: they reorganized their shelves by author and they switched to clerk service. Recently, we sat down with Book Store Manager Charli Suter and Textbook Manager Darren Kwiatkowski to discuss what led to this change and how it has helped improve the student customer experience.
When you are shopping, does an advertisement you saw online entice you to buy more than talking to a friend who tells you about a great sale or deal they found? Probably not. Students, like any shoppers, want to know they are getting high-quality merchandise for a fantastic price, but in the world of retail marketing, everyone claims their products are the best and that they are giving you the deal of a lifetime. Naturally, firsthand experiences are easier to trust.
The CU Book Store is known for their innovation and success in reducing course material costs for students. In 2015, the store won the NACS Collegiate Retailer of the Year, and the 2017 and 2018, it won ICBA’s MVP Store. Recently, the Assistant Director, Academic Resource Support, Jason Katzman decided to try MBS’ new ordering tool SimpleSource.
Central Washington University Wildcat Shop noticed there was a problem with their student customer service during rush. Large crowds congested the aisles, and lines of students waiting for help made it difficult to maneuver through the stacks. Looking for ways to alleviate the problem, they switched to counter service.
The course material industry offers a variety of ways to lower textbook costs, but the most tried and true way is to provide students with greater access to used books. However, maximizing the number of used books your store has available can take a lot of time and resources. That’s why MBS created SimpleSource. SimpleSource gives stores an easy way to manage their entire wantlist process from wholesale inventory to marketplace sourcing.
Social media is a fantastic tool for college stores. It helps you connect with students, alumni and parents in a consistent and meaningful way. However, developing a great social media presence requires strategy and fair amount of patience. Find out how the GVSU Laker Store has turned their social media efforts into a valuable store resource.
Collegiate retailers are asked to lower student costs, increase school revenue and decrease overhead expenses all while providing students with a great customer experience. Creative solutions and retail innovations have helped many college stores meet these demands.
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