When students purchase books at the beginning of the term, cost is one of the top deciding factors for them. Therefore, college stores that are able to offer students as many low-cost options as possible can better compete with online retailers. When you are ordering course materials for the next term, do not forget to also submit your rental list to MBS.
Rental is an easy way to save students money and increase your store's margins and market share. Now is the perfect time to make sure your store and students get all the benefits that come with the MBS rental program.
The advantages of rental
- Bring market share back to the store
Large online retailers are still offering students affordable rental options. Make sure your store offers competitive pricing and format choices to earn and retain market share.
"The rental program and rental re-quotes have been a lifesaver. Rentals are our lifeblood. This piece is both a value piece and a service piece for us. MBS does a great job following up and offering us higher quotes when they can at the end of the term." Jeff Lubnow, Director of Auxiliary Enterprises, County College of Morris Bookstore - Give students upfront savings
What makes rental so appealing to students is how much money they can save from the start. This tangible savings helps students better afford their vital course materials.
“Having a rental option provides our students with another purchasing option. It allows the student to save up front instead of purchasing at the new book price and selling back the book that we may or may not be purchasing back at the end of the semester. Having various affordable options can help in the success of our students. We want to make sure we are trying everything we can to keep textbook costs down.” Melissa Nieto, Bookstore Manager, Victoria College - Increase buyback foot traffic
Buyback is an excellent source of low-cost course materials for college stores which helps keep overhead down. With students automatically coming back to return rental books, stores have the prime opportunity to purchase back any other unwanted textbooks and get additional sales from having the students in the store.
“We currently have two years of students that don’t know what SELLBACK is – when they return their rental book, we offer them the choice to sell any other unwanted textbooks back. For our store, we keep a lot of rental copies for the future semester, which makes us more profitable each year.” Kurt Kaiser, Assistant Director – Course Materials, CSU Bookstore
Why MBS Rental is a great choice
- Competitive pricing
Control over rental prices, ensuring the savings you offer will entice students to shop in your store. - Guaranteed rebates
Once you submit your rental list, we send back your guaranteed rebate amounts. Submit your rental list as soon as possible to maximize the number of titles you receive. You can always update your quote with additional titles as they are adopted. - Timely payments
Your store’s rental term begins once the book is delivered and ends two weeks after the last exam. You receive your payment within 30 days from the day of check-in.
Submitting your rental list
There are two ways to submit your rental list.
First, MBS Store Technology Solutions customers can easily submit rental quotes within the Rental Application.
Second, MBS Wholesale customers can email their rental request list to rental@mbsbooks.com. Please include your contact information as well as start and end dates for the term.
When to submit rental lists for the upcoming terms
Spring '22 term: submit your list up until the term ends.
Summer '22 term: MBS is now accepting rental lists.
Fall '22 term: MBS will begin accepting lists on June 3, 2022.
Submit your rental list as soon as possible or speak to your MBS representative to learn more.
