Fall term is underway. As campuses settle into a new routine, many college stores have made it through the first rush with COVID-19 restrictions. In preparation for this term, stores made updates to help protect students and staff and provide faster, more convenient service. Today, let’s review some of the most popular college store updates for fall.
Have you ever bought clothing online and it didn’t fit like you expected? There simply isn’t one body type that represents all students. Purchasing clothing online can often feel like rolling the dice because the images and models you most often see do not represent you or your body type. The importance of eCommerce sales has only grown due to recent events. This fall consider adding more body inclusivity to your website to inspire more sales.
Many college stores are in the process of reviewing their return policies for the fall term. Unprecedented conditions mean college stores have a lot of new considerations. We recently asked several college stores if they had updated their return policy and what their policy will be for fall.
Every college store faces challenges as they move to reopen. Taking into account local, state and federal restrictions, stores like the Hope College Bookstore have had to look for creative ways to solve unprecedented problems this term. For Hope College Bookstore the first major hurdle to overcome was how to handle course material distribution with limited occupancy restrictions.
Retail metrics help stores make a variety of decisions from staffing to merchandise ordering. As college stores reopen for fall under new restrictions, limited capacity and social distancing requirements, what bookstore analytic metrics will be most important?
For many of us, times are unpredictable. As college stores look toward the start of a new term, strengthening online sales, student convenience and in-store safety precautions are three areas that will have the biggest impact no matter what happens this fall. We recently spoke with Lincoln Land Community College’s Director of Campus Services Andrew Blaylock to discuss the college store’s web orders and how they are preparing for fall.
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.
Since the end of March, college stores have had to make quick adjustments to meet the unprecedented demands created by COVID-19. As the San Joaquin Delta College campus responded to the pandemic, the Delta College Bookstore stepped up with a plan to safely offer students a centralized location to return and pick up materials.
Recently, MBS Field Marketing Territory Manager Beth Gallagher had the opportunity to sit down with UC Davis Stores’ Aaron Ochoa, Director, and Jason Lorgan, Executive Director of Campus Recreation, Student Unions and Stores, to discuss college bookstore industry trends and how their stores work to elevate student experience. So today, we bring you our first MBS Foreword Online podcast, Campus Store Conversations.
Contact our editorial team to set up an interview or to contribute a guest post.
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