Ideas, information and industry news for collegiate retailers

It's March and you know what that means: All over the country, campuses are beginning to empty as students make a beeline for their spring break destinations. No matter where they travel, you can bet that they’ll have their phones in hand — so a great way to keep interaction up is by running some kind of giveaway (like a photo contest) through your store’s social media accounts. This is the third year that the Old Post Bookstore has invited their customers to share spring break pictures featuring Vincennes University gear for a chance to win gift cards to the store.

Pipes burst. Air ducts fall. The power goes out. Do you have a plan for what you and your employees will do when one of these things happen? What about in the case of a large snowfall, bad storm or flood? Here are a few tips to help you make it through when things go wrong:

Long lines. Frantic Students. Rush can be a hectic time for everyone, on both sides of the bookstore counter. For many students, the combination of a new semester beginning, finding all of the right books and then having to buy them makes it an especially stressful time. This year, the staff at the UVU Bookstore found a clever way to allay some of that stress for their customers, and gave one lucky student a big surprise.

It’s a tradition that goes back nearly two decades: every year, the bookstore staff of Memorial University at Newfoundland work together to raise money for their community. Initially, the donation resulted from the sale of their handmade crafts, with the recipients being a single-parent family in need.

Halloween is serious business at both locations of the University of Alaska-Anchorage Bookstore! Not only is it the staff’s favorite time of year, it’s also an excellent excuse to plan fun events, play dress up and get rid of some “dead” merchandise. While many of us only get one day for a treat-eating, costume-wearing celebration of the spookiest holiday of the year, at these stores, Halloween is a week-long event that includes pumpkin carving, giveaways, a special sale and pint-sized trick-or-treating.

October 9 was the fourth annual National Student Day — did your store participate? Here's a look into what some other college stores cooked up, in the words of the bookstore staff members who helped make it happen:

It’s undeniable: October has a lot going for it. From the obvious (Halloween!) to the important (Breast Cancer Awareness!), there are many opportunities to scare up some interaction with your students and community. This month, the Stevenson University Stores got into the spirit once again by holding their third annual Pink-a-Boo and Trick or Treat sales.

The University Store at Murray State University recently rolled out the red carpet for the crème de la crème of its customers.

After a few months of being back at school, it’s time to give your students a break and have some fun! In honor of Booktober, we’ve brainstormed some activities inspired by their favorite fictional characters. From a literary costume competiton to a fictitious feast, these events are guaranteed to get students engaged and into your store, as well as prompt some serious social media interaction. And with the recent trend where absolutely every book ever is turned into a film, even the less-than-literary can still get into the spirit.

Would your employees be willing to “get pied” for a great cause? Last week, the staff of College Corner Coffee & Books in Alma, Mich. volunteered their faces for target practice for a pie-throwing event to raise money and awareness for Relay for Life of Gratiot County.