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.
Georgia Southern University Store knows the importance of a user-friendly website that piques student interest. The college store site must appeal to students, alumni and parents alike. In the current state of the retail and education industries, providing easily accessible ways to purchase merchandise, technology and course materials is more important than ever before.
In 2020, Mount Aloysius College Bookstore once again saw an increase in textbook and merchandise sales. This relatively small college store with one full-time employee has been able to make smart updates to its website, procedures and offerings that have resulted in regaining market share.
As John Donne famously wrote, “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” Just like we are all connected, the college store is part of the greater campus community. Strong campus relationships can help stores in a variety of ways, such as bringing new store opportunities, improving student communication or ensuring on-time faculty adoptions.
How do search engines determine whether or not to direct traffic to your site? Physical location, search terms, products, ratings, clicks, etc. all impact where your college store ends up in the search results. However, there are things you can do to help boost where you fall in the search results. It is called Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Once again, a new term is upon us and it is likely that most college stores will be directing as much student traffic online as possible. How is rush different online and how can you be sure that students continue to have the level of service from the store that they expect? We have collected three tips to help boost your rush this term.
There is no doubt that mask wearing has become a new normal over the past year. With the emergence of a new accessory that everyone required to wear, it makes sense for campus stores to offer them to customers. However, Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Store decided to take a slightly different route. The store has opted to donate a portion of its mask sales to the campus Student Support Fund, helping student who have been affected by the pandemic.
County College of Morris (CCM) Bookstore became an MBS Premier Partner because of the benefits and the level of service provided by MBS. Additional MBS support, access to the MBS Rental Management Tool and getting more books, all make it easier for the CCM Bookstore to do business in today’s collegiate retail industry.
Crowder College Bookstore Director Colleen Holland has heard a lot about the MBS Premier Partnership from her MBS representative over the years. Through the years, her store has gotten low-cost inventory from MBS and considered MBS to be a trusted vendor. But this year, Ms. Holland decided it was time to go a step further to receive the many benefits that come with a premier partnership.
There’s a lot on students’ minds. Right now, the businesses that can provide them with the easy and convenient options they are looking for can win their business. We have selected three ways college stores are going above and beyond to provide students with better, more convenient service.
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