It’s pretty clear: love is definitely in the air at college stores all over the country. With less than a week to go before Valentine’s Day, suggestions for romantic gifts, requests for “meet cute” anecdotes and holiday sales are filling up our newsfeed on a regular basis. This year it seems like more stores than ever are actively using Facebook to promote their efforts — like the WSU Bookstore, with their “14 Days of Valentines Giveaway.”
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.
Most stores decide beforehand exactly what a customer's discount is going to be. But at North Dakota State University Bookstore, management leaves that up to fate. They do so by providing a bowl filled with scratch and win cards in front of their bookstore that customers can use to win anywhere between a 15 and 50 percent discount on any clothing or souvenir and gift items.
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.
Forget about “Bring Your Daughter to Work Day.” At Swarthmore College Bookstore, every day is “Bring Your Dogs to Work Day.” For the past eight years, Steve Levin, the store’s book manager, has brought his pair of black labs to work with him. The dogs provide stress relief and comfort to students, staff and faculty. They have become a fixture at the store, and one of the most popular attractions for visitors to the campus.
With increased competition, it’s more important than ever to advertise the benefits of shopping at your store. One of the many ways college stores are effectively achieving this task is through incentives. For example, UIC Bookstore recently implemented a promotion that encouraged students to use their online textbook reservation program by offering them a free item.
The end of the term is always a hectic time for college stores. Last semester, Titan Shops attempted to change that with a promotion that got rental books back in their hands earlier. Their simple, yet effective approach allowed them to ultimately streamline the return process and reduce the stress on their staff.
Out with the old, and in with the new. That’s the approach Ben Jastorff, manager of Trojan Center Bookstore at Dakota State University, adopted when he recently accepted the position at the store. Jastorff wanted to clear out inventory, some of which had been in the store for nearly two years, to make room for the updated apparel he had ordered.
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