What advantages set the campus store apart from its competitors? Campus stores have direct access to students, exclusive channels of communication, the largest variety of payment methods, more innate trust and a mission that extends beyond retail. Let’s take a look at specific ways your campus store can build student engagement. 
How to build student engagement
1. Communicate as much as possible for clarity
Communication is key to student engagement for obvious reasons. If students aren’t aware of the options and great prices they can get in the store, then they will go where they feel most comfortable. Begin communicating with students at the earliest possible time and keep putting your message out. In addition to emails, texts, posters and flyers, look for out-of-the-box ways you can reach students like making sure your store is included on campus tours and during welcome events. Take special care to educate tour guides about the benefits of buying from the campus store.Create email and/or text message marketing campaigns for each year of students that addresses them and their unique situations. For example, first year students might be uncertain how and when to get their materials. They might also have questions about the available formats. Whereas a fourth-year student probably knows most of that and would be more engaged by nostalgia.
Additionally, streamline purchasing course materials. Offer counter service, give students delivery options, look at affordable access programs, and make it simple for students to get their schedule-specific course materials online. For example, MBS system partners can utilize registrar’s link so students can go directly to the online store from their schedule and the online cart is pre-populated with their schedule-specific course materials.
2. Maximize students’ course material options
Course material options (used, new, digital, rental, etc.) bring students into the store. Through a full array of options students have greater cost saving opportunities, they can select the format of their choice and they develop a greater sense of trust with the bookstore.
Need a refresher on the types of course materials? Check out the various types of course materials your store can get through MBS below.
| Used books MBS has one of the largest inventories of used books in the nation. Utilizing numerous inventory channels, we have a constantly evolving selection of used textbooks. As a great low-cost textbook option, used books are often in high demand. Maximize your fill rate by leaving and reworking your want list with MBS for as long as possible. New books Did you know you can also get new book inventory from MBS? We offer college stores discounted new book inventory. That means you can save money when you order new inventory from MBS, and you can also consolidate textbook shipments coming to your store and returns. Marketplace MBS also helps remove the risk from marketplace sourcing. In addition to fulfilling your wholesale inventory needs, SimpleSource can be used to also source books from the marketplace. Simply set the price you are willing to pay for marketplace books and MBS will do the rest. Like all books that flow through our facility, those books will be vetted to ensure authenticity and added to your bin so you can receive one shipment with one invoice. Rental MBS Rental puts your store in control. There are no contracts or agreements. You set pricing based on your store and can purchase inventory from any source. With the most competitive rebate program in the industry, your store has the foundation for a successful in-store rental program. Once you submit your rental list, we will send you the guaranteed rebate amounts. The earlier you submit your list, the more time you have for reworks to maximize the number of titles. Publisher Consignment Rental Publisher consignment rentals are simply a collection of rental-only titles that have been selected by the publisher. These titles can be a great low-cost option for students. Publishers do require additional reporting, but for many, the benefits outweigh spending a little extra time on reporting. Digital Materials For MBS system users, digital purchases are simple to manage. VitalSource® and CEI integrations allow students to buy and access eTextbooks with just a few clicks. Get tips on improving digital accessibility for students. |
||
3. Build trust
Though students can recoup some of their textbook costs at the end of the term, it is often hard for students to make that connection when they are purchasing their books. Afterall, buyback seems so far away, they don’t know how much they will get or if the book will even be bought back. That’s where offering a guaranteed buyback comes in.
College stores can guarantee a minimum buyback price on qualifying textbooks upfront (communicating guaranteed buyback can be as simple as stickering books and adding the minimum buyback price to shelf tags). When purchasing textbooks at the beginning of term, students can easily identify the guaranteed buyback books and see the minimum they will receive back at the end of term. This lets them know the true cost of their textbooks and makes the price and buyback amount fully transparent.
Read more about how MBS can help your store grow your guaranteed buyback.
4. Set the customer experience apart
Whether a customer comes into your store, visits your eCommerce site or just reads an email sent by your store, the customer experience factors in heavily with how much or how little that customer will choose to engage with your store.In today’s retail world, fast, convenient service is key. That’s why MBS has released system updates designed to help stores:
- Better succeed in a competitive market with improved customer relationship management
- Personalize marketing with extractable data
- Quickly locate customer and transaction information with intuitive search and filtering options
- Streamline inclusive access management with time saving integrations
- Better highlight merchandise on the college store site
.jpg)
