Foreword Online

Ideas, information and industry news for collegiate retailers



3 Best Practices for Planning Collegiate Retail Events

Posted by Lori Reese on 10/28/20 7:00 AM

Collegiate retail events build campus relevance. With excellent planning, campus stores can host events with a strong return on investment and become staples in campus life. We’ve culled advice from collegiate retail experts nationwide and found three proven best practices for planning successful bookstore events.

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Hundreds of Free Ways to Promote Your College Store

Posted by Abraham T. Dyer on 5/23/19 3:19 PM

What if your college store had one more employee who devoted 10 more hours each week to developing your campus store's marketing plans and materials? What could your store accomplish? You don't have to spend more on staffing to find out. We have already laid the groundwork and all you have to do is implement it.

Since 2011, Foreword Online has developed complete (and completely free) marketing plans, covering: holiday marketing, charity and community outreach, unique events and sales, faculty relations plans, and more. Below, sorted by time, topic and audience, are the plans and resources you need to keep your store's marketing fresh from month to month.

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May the 4th Be With KSU Bookstore

Posted by Dean Asher on 6/5/17 5:30 AM

Since "A New Hope" premiered in 1977, the Star Wars franchise has been one of the most successful and beloved media franchises in the world. In fact, the unofficial holiday "Star Wars Day" is celebrated by fans on May 4 — a pun off of the phrase "May the Force be with you."

It gave University Stores at Kennesaw State University something to celebrate as well. The store took the concept and ran with it for the week of May 2-6, offering a sale for 25% off Star Wars merchandise, and using a Star Wars theme to spruce up its display windows and advertise its rental returns.

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Bracket Battle in the College Store

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 3/1/17 5:30 AM

Prepare yourself for the March Bracket Battle chaos! This month people will be asking you which college basketball team is going to go all the way and let’s face it, we have no idea which team is better and can only name a handful of players. But your Bracket Battle can be about more than basketball, and you’re going to take the annual bracket bonanza to a new level.

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Spring into Savings

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 2/3/17 5:30 AM

The spring season is about getting ready for a break, the last push before exams and building business before buyback and summer. This month “Spring into Savings” with a sale designed to clear out the old and make room for new stock.

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Make It a Date with Your Store

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 1/9/17 5:30 AM

Valentine’s Day is about more than chocolates and roses. It’s also an opportunity for you to "Make It a Date with Your Store" with a special sale and fun social media campaign.

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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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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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The Book Mark Has Big Hit with Candy Bouquets

Posted by Kate Seat on 2/28/16 11:00 PM

What do you do when you find yourself with an overabundance of a certain product? In most cases, you can either just send the surplus back or decide to get creative and find a way to make it work to your store’s advantage. That’s exactly the situation the staff at The Book Mark found themselves in, when they accidentally ordered over 300 candy bars from one of their vendors.

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Riverland CC Bookstores Offer 3 Chances to Win the Window

Posted by Kate Seat on 8/9/15 11:00 PM

While there’s usually an event planned for buyback at Riverland Community College’s three bookstore locations, that’s not always the case with the beginning of the semester. This year, Bookstore Buyer Carissa Drake decided to mix things up a bit.

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