Foreword Online

Ideas, information and industry news for collegiate retailers



Lori Reese

About Lori Reese

Lori Reese is a writer and an educator with 20 years of experience in higher education teaching.

Recent articles by Lori Reese

CCRI Discovers the Power of Retail Analytics

Posted by Lori Reese on 2/11/20 7:00 AM

Ray Karasek, Community College of Rhode Island’s Auxiliary Services Director, calls the Dashboard analytics suite “the Ferrari of MBS.”

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For Towson and NMJC, System Training Is Vital to Campus Store Success

Posted by Lori Reese on 1/27/20 8:00 AM

Towson University’s University Store and the New Mexico Junior College Bookstore (NMJC) are two distinct campus stores with a key feature in common: both take advantage of MBS Store Technology Solutions’ annual training. As a result, both stores find new ways to increase revenue, transcend industry challenges and serve their students every year.

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4 Ways Campus Stores Maximize Local Vendor Partnerships

Posted by Lori Reese on 1/21/20 7:00 AM

Partnerships with local vendors help campus stores provide a retail customer experience that sets them apart from competitors. Produce from local farmers, coffee from a local hang-out or crafts from regional artisans can transform a visit to your store into a shopping experience that inspires word of mouth, repeat visits and customer loyalty. Here’s how four collegiate retailers maximize local vendor partnerships.

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Survey Results: A Snapshot of Campus Store Goals and Challenges

Posted by Lori Reese on 1/16/20 7:00 AM

In preparation for the Independent College Bookstore Association (ICBA) 2020 conference, MBS sent out a survey to campus store members asking what they’d like to learn at this year’s conference. The result: a fascinating summary of the challenges and goals of collegiate retail professionals nationwide. Here’s a snapshot of the data.

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Spotlight University of Pittsburgh Book Store: GM That Drives Relevance

Posted by Lori Reese on 1/14/20 7:00 AM

The University of Pittsburgh Book Store’s Meagan Sotirokos knows how to find general merchandise that sells. She manages Maggie & Stella’s Cards & Gifts, the popular standalone giftshop adjacent to the main bookstore, University Store on Fifth. Ms. Sotirokos has developed strategies that dovetail with millennial and Gen Z shopping habits. An eclectic range of items adorns the shelves: colorful low-cost scrunchies, Lily Pulitzer® handbags, Corkcicle® cooler leather backpacks in seafoam green and more. Her curatorial buying approach helps Maggie & Stella’s deliver the enhanced retail experience customers increasingly expect from brick-and-mortar stores.

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An MBS Partnership Serves the Entire Navarro Community

Posted by Lori Reese on 1/7/20 7:00 AM

Navarro College Bookstore Director, Terri Mitchell, has a saying that reflects her commitment to students: “When you invest in students, you’re investing in the future.”

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Spotlight Carnegie Mellon University Store: Maximize Campus Relevance With Tech Sales

Posted by Lori Reese on 12/9/19 8:00 AM

Student tech sales have revenue potential for college stores, especially on campuses where technology is deeply infused with the school’s mission. We sat down with Jake Swanson, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) University Store’s technology store manager, to talk about how his store competes with off-campus retailers.

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Spotlight Navarro College: Hosting Spectacular Holiday Events

Posted by Lori Reese on 12/4/19 8:00 AM

Navarro Community College Bookstore Director, Terri Mitchell, knows how to host a successful campus event. Her bookstore organizes celebrations that promote the school, raise scholarship funds, bring prospective students to campus and foster deep ties with the college’s Texas community. This year, she co-led a talk about campus store events at the MEGA conference in Reno, Nevada, called “Food for Thought: What is your store worth to your campus and community?” It focused on creative ways to demonstrate your store’s value. Ms. Mitchell and her co-leader earned a standing ovation.

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MBS Forums 2019: SimpleSource Empowers Campus Stores With Wantlist Control

Posted by Lori Reese on 11/26/19 8:00 AM

The classroom for the 2019 MBS Forums session on SimpleSource filled quickly. Attendees were eager to learn how users of the MBS retail management software get more used wholesale textbooks with this ordering tool.

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MBS Forums 2019: Retail Trends and the Campus Store

Posted by Lori Reese on 11/20/19 8:00 AM

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions (TGCS) Channel Sales Executive Lora Coggins opened her Forums 2019 session with a question of great import to campus retailers: Is brick and mortar here to stay?

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