Ideas, information and industry news for collegiate retailers

One thing college store managers could use is more time. With limited resources, diminished staff and a busy schedule, finding time to do all of the tasks that need to be completed can be daunting. It is easy for non-essential jobs to slip through the cracks like keeping up with your store’s marketing efforts. However, by streamlining duties you can ensure that your store has a strong marketing plan for the entire year that can be delegated and easily implemented. With the help of a retail marketing calendar, you can plan your store’s efforts on a month-to-month or year-to-year basis.

MBS was once again proud to take part in the ICBA conference this year and to support independent college stores. MBS Representatives enjoyed seeing and speaking with the many college store professionals in attendance. As always, it was great to hear what everyone is focused on for the spring term and the plans they are making for fall.

With more traffic being divided between brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers, it’s important that your store is ready to meet expectations both in-store and online. Think about the in-store experience for your shoppers. Where do most shoppers go when they come in? What are your bestselling products? By contemplating how in-store traffic patterns work, you can improve your website, make it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for, and improve the in-store and online experience.

Spring and summer buyback were challenging for college stores. Stores needed a plan that would ensure student and staff health and safety and follow local, state and federal guidelines as they constantly evolved. Peninsula College Bookstore looked at the resources available to them and decided to offer students buyback quotes through virtual video chats.

Preparing for the fall term was not an easy feat. Shocker Stores Director Andi Stipp at Wichita State University has been working since the COVID-19 outbreak to make contingency plans. When her school announced they would return to campus for fall, Ms. Stipp knew the next step her store needed to take was to minimize in-store rush traffic as much as possible.

Many college stores are making plans for fall amid uncertainty. While trying to plan for multiple scenarios, it is important to maximize the number of options available to students: a strong web presence with a responsive site, fast delivery, curbside pickup, and streamlined in-store pickup and purchasing. But how are stores streamlining in-store purchasing and keeping customers and employee safe? For many college stores, counter service is the answer.

COVID-19 has changed the way college stores across the nation operate. Adapting to current conditions and new restrictions, college stores have found ways to work within this new normal. Southeast Technical College Bookstore has taken the challenges they face and used them to improve customer service and add more convenient options for students. Bookstore Manager Jason Skiff recently spoke with us about the changes the store has made to prepare for fall.

As summer rush approached, Hagerstown Community College Bookstore Manager Tammy Crockett knew there was a way the store could continue to serve students, keep them safe and give them convenient, one-stop shopping. By holding a drive-up rush event, the store could provide students with everything they might need to start a new term and save them shipping costs.