Ideas, information and industry news for collegiate retailers

OSU University Store’s Starla Marshall has acquired a trove of industry wisdom in her 30 years of collegiate retail. As Textbook Manager, she ensures that OSU’s 20,000-plus students have the right course materials for thousands of classes offered each term.

For University of California Davis Stores Associate Director of Finance Tracy Roman, a college store system is incomplete without a superb business intelligence tool. Ms. Roman was among the first to test drive the latest iteration of Dashboard, the real-time analytics tool for college stores that integrates with the MBS system. We sat down to talk to Ms. Roman about how business intelligence is shaping the future of campus bookstores.

Not long after Jake Swanson joined Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) University Store as the technology store manager, he was invited to a meeting with some of the nation’s top minds in computer science. The topic: MBS Store Technology Solution’s Apple Device Enrollment Program (DEP).

The University of Pittsburgh Book Store’s Meagan Sotirokos knows how to find general merchandise that sells. She manages Maggie & Stella’s Cards & Gifts, the popular standalone giftshop adjacent to the main bookstore, University Store on Fifth. Ms. Sotirokos has developed strategies that dovetail with millennial and Gen Z shopping habits. An eclectic range of items adorns the shelves: colorful low-cost scrunchies, Lily Pulitzer® handbags, Corkcicle® cooler leather backpacks in seafoam green and more. Her curatorial buying approach helps Maggie & Stella’s deliver the enhanced retail experience customers increasingly expect from brick-and-mortar stores.

Navarro Community College Bookstore Director, Terri Mitchell, knows how to host a successful campus event. Her bookstore organizes celebrations that promote the school, raise scholarship funds, bring prospective students to campus and foster deep ties with the college’s Texas community. This year, she co-led a talk about campus store events at the MEGA conference in Reno, Nevada, called “Food for Thought: What is your store worth to your campus and community?” It focused on creative ways to demonstrate your store’s value. Ms. Mitchell and her co-leader earned a standing ovation.

For GVSU Laker Store, maximizing summer sales starts with strategy. The managers don’t waste resources trying to lure non-students onto campus. Instead, they target online sales, tour groups and newcomers visiting for orientation. Like other colleges, Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan, quiets down after graduation in May. But that doesn’t stop the Laker Store from driving business with creative promotions throughout the summer months, according to the school’s Auxiliary Services Marketing Manager, Liza Guikema. Recently, Foreword Online sat down with Guikema to find out how the Laker Store succeeds with summertime efforts.

Oklahoma State University's University Store has a smart approach to fostering student loyalty: an expert technology department, OrangeTech, with free services like repair and 3D printing. Any student in need of computer repair or assistance can find a tech-savvy associate on hand. For 3D printing, customers pay a minimal charge for materials but nothing for the processing and expertise. OrangeTech’s services give University Store an edge over off-campus retailers — and inspire customer allegiance.

Social media is a fantastic tool for college stores. It helps you connect with students, alumni and parents in a consistent and meaningful way. However, developing a great social media presence requires strategy and fair amount of patience. Find out how the GVSU Laker Store has turned their social media efforts into a valuable store resource.

Student hunger on campuses is more prevalent than most people think. Head into a packed student center or campus dining facility, and it is easy to believe that the problem doesn’t exist on your campus, but chances are it does. According to a Students Against Hunger report, more than 45% of the 3,000 students surveyed from community and four-year colleges had experienced food insecurity in the past 30 days.

Scavenger hunts offer college stores a wealth of opportunity. They bring students through your doors. They offer a fun way to bond with newcomers, while helping them make new friends, get to know the campus and become acquainted with your offerings. What’s the best way to ensure your scavenger hunt is a success? Here, we offer our compendium of scavenger hunt articles. They include tales of successful store events and our Monthly Marketing Plans, which make setting up your scavenger hunt quick and easy.