Foreword Online

Ideas, information and industry news for collegiate retailers



inSite's Best Kept Secret: The Power of Price Comparison

Posted by Dean Asher on 10/10/16 5:00 AM

College-age shoppers are price conscious. And we mean really price conscious.

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7 Reasons to Shop at Your College Book Store [Download]

Posted by Dean Asher on 10/6/16 8:29 AM

If you ask some of the most vocal critics of college bookstores on campus, they might claim they can't name one good reason to shop at your store. Now thanks to Middlebury College, you can give them seven.

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SIUE Cougar Store Rebuilds Social, Enjoys 50% Growth

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 10/4/16 5:15 AM

The Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Cougar Store is using social media to not only increase sales, but to also serve as the social hub of the university. Serving students as more than a retail outlet, building engagement through social channels is smart business.

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Turn Black Friday into Green Friday to Support Charities

Posted by Dean Asher on 10/3/16 5:00 AM

Black Friday is traditionally the biggest day of the year for the bulk of the retail world. Although your store actually has its big day at some point in the late summer or early fall, there's no reason you can't get in on the day-after-Thanksgiving action.

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Draw Crowds With Fall-themed Events

Posted by Kate Seat on 9/30/16 7:00 AM

Rush is over, finals and buyback are ahead — October is the sweet spot between two of your busiest times during the term. That makes this the perfect opportunity to plan a fun, fall-themed in-store event. Here's your chance to increase sales for your store with inspiration from some of our favorite Foreword Online features. 

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Towson University Bookstore Offers Free Textbooks for 2015-16

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 9/26/16 5:00 AM

Students at Towson University in Towson, Maryland, have the opportunity to win free textbooks for the 2016-17 school year.

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How the Cookie Crumbles: Sourcing Problems, and How to Avoid Them

Posted by Dean Asher on 9/15/16 8:42 AM

The college textbook industry is kind of like the weirdest cookie jar in history.

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Why Adapt? Just Ask the Dinosaurs [eBook]

Posted by Kate Seat on 9/14/16 7:37 AM
Some trends shouldn’t be ignored

The word “fad” exists for a reason.

Some retail phases come and go — selfie stick, anyone? — and just because something’s popular, doesn’t mean your store should jump on board. With rental you should just wait and see, right?

Wrong.

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Don't Fear the Foot Traffic

Posted by Kate Seat on 9/1/16 5:00 AM

If you ask us, Halloween is the holiday that has it all: You get to dress up in a fun costume, go to parties, stay out late and — the best part — it’s socially acceptable to gorge yourself senseless on candy and treats. Sounds perfect!

Many college students agree, so that makes this holiday an ideal opportunity to attract new customers to your store and encourage existing ones to come back in with a series of killer events.

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Textbooks, Gummy Bears and Red Bull, Oh My: A Fresh Perspective on Buyback [Guest Blog]

Posted by Stephanie Webber on 8/31/16 5:00 AM

On average, there's not a lot of churn among college retail administrators. If you're subscribed to Foreword and reading this blog, odds are you've been in your position for a few years — and each buyback isn't exactly your first rodeo. But whether you've done two or two dozen, it pays to get a fresh perspective. Having started in June, MBS Supply Chain Analyst Stephanie Webber is fairly new to the textbook industry in general — and she got to work her first buyback ever just a few weeks later, when she volunteered to work the University of Missouri-Columbia's summer session buy. Keep reading after the jump to see what she learned about the process, and how it relates to what she does for MBS and its partner institutions every day.

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