Ideas, information and industry news for collegiate retailers

In the print vs. digital debate, it is easy to take sides based on personal preference. I love books: the smell, the feel, the experience, etc. However, over the last few years, my personal reading habits have shifted. Most of my reading now happens digitally. It doesn’t make me love books less, but it has given me an appreciation for the convenience of digital. When it comes to the print vs digital debate, I tend to be of the mind that the reader should choose. However, research has demonstrated that reading comprehension improves with print texts.   

We communicate all day, every day, in various ways: through speaking, email, text message, social media or simple gestures. However, all communication is not the same. Emails can often be read with an unintended tone. A sentence that seem clear to the writer might confuse the reader. These miscommunications can negatively impact your store’s intended message. That’s why developing a strong communication strategy is important.

The sounds, sights and sensations hurled at students grow as more people fight to win their demographic. A variety of businesses vie for their attention, each promising bigger and better things if they are chosen. With so much noise all around, how does your store stand out from the crowd?

It’s a distraction, an onerous bit of red tape or just an abstract requirement that seems out-of-step with classroom reality: Your earnest early-adoption request ends up deleted, routed to junk mail or ignored because faculty don’t understand why you’re sending requests out so early.  If you want teachers to cooperate with the college store schedule, it’s critical to anticipate their questions, understand confusion and offer succinct, concrete answers.

You need to buy a new coffeemaker. Does a commercial with a former TV doctor advertising a coffeemaker and jet-set lifestyle influence your decision more or less than hearing your sister or neighbor talk about how much they love their new coffeemaker and all the features it has? The answer to the question comes down to one thing: trust. Consumers trust people they know. People who are “real.” Students are no different. In fact, Generation Z is even more inclined to reject conventional advertising than their previous generations.

Welcome to our fourth edition of Textbook Wisdom, the Foreword Online series dedicated to speaking directly to faculty about how the course material industry affects the classroom. This article explains the advantages of alternative content. Email the link to faculty — and share it on social media. Bridge the gap between educators and collegiate retailers.

With winter slowly coming to a close and spring break right around the corner, everyone could use a little bit of fun to brighten their day. A lively scavenger hunt will engage students and give them the opportunity to save some green in the store this March.

Admit it: It’s an enticing thought. A visit to the grocery store completely absent of all the usual irritations: customers clogging the Express Lane with — oops! — at least 40 items. Slow-movers fumbling through self-check-out. Grim cashiers shoving your heaviest items into a single bag that splits open before you reach the car. Amazon has nixed nearly all the pain-points we associate with shopping in a single swoop with the opening of its check-out free convenience store. It might seem like another dreaded retail disruptor. But how can it not inspire a shiver of excitement?

One-time retail juggernauts Macys and Sears shut down hundreds of stores. The eCommerce force-from-beyond, Amazon, bought Whole Foods and introduced its first checkout-free convenience store, Amazon Go. 2017 was undoubtedly one of retail’s craziest years on record. What does that mean for 2018?

Amazon is one of the biggest retail innovators of the last two decades, arguably the 21^st century. They seemingly dive into markets overnight and change the way things are done along with the public’s expectations. We watched with amazement when Amazon acquired Whole Foods, wondering what, if anything, would change. Now, the famously expensive grocery chain has seen price cuts and Prime members will get perks in the store — a clear sign Amazon is leaving its mark. What wisdom can small stores extrapolate from Amazon’s business practices to carry their college store into the future?