In an effort to increase attendance at his store’s Graduation Fair, Clint Aase, director of Bronco Bookstore at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, began to think of new ways to advertise the event to students.
In an effort to increase attendance at his store’s Graduation Fair, Clint Aase, director of Bronco Bookstore at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, began to think of new ways to advertise the event to students.
After attending a CAMEX session devoted to helping stores better their buyback, Mines Bookstore decided it was time to try something different. Rather than implement the standard posters they had used in the past, they opted for a more personal approach.
Nowadays, competition in the textbook industry is steep. That’s why University Store at Murray State University wanted to find a way to both increase their textbook purchases and reward those who were shopping with them. So, in the fall of 2011, the store decided to offer an incentive to those students who took advantage of their prepackage program.
With the cost of textbooks rising, Forty-Niner Shops’ at California State University – Long Beach decided that they wanted to do even more to help ease the burden on students. Beginning in 2009, the store created a new event, Bowling for Books, to generate additional textbook scholarships for their students. The fundraiser was the idea of the store’s general manager Don Penrod, who had been a part of a similar event at St. Louis Community College four years prior.
Two years ago, the Duck Store at University of Oregon received an unwelcome surprise; they realized a competitor had rented table space directly across the street from their store in an attempt to buy students’ books.
Although a rental program had long been in place at Three Rivers College Bookstore, Bob Jansen, director, decided that it could use a little updating. With the goal of becoming the most profitable college store in the nation as a percentage of sales with one of the lowest textbook costs, he wanted to expand the store’s program. Recognizing the difficulties of doing so on an outdated system, however, Jansen first went in search of a serialized rental program that could be more effectively managed.
With upfront savings on their minds, students across the country are demanding textbook rental. But, many college stores are hesitant to offer the option because of the extra labor and financial risk involved. Wichita State University Bookstore, who has offered rental for the past three semesters, was definitely no exception.
The time for graduation and finals is near. Many seniors will be making some of their last purchases at their college store for caps, gowns and any supplies they may need to make it through their last exams. Now is the time to reach out to them so they will remain loyal customers as alumni.
For years, Holy Cross Bookstore’s buyback was a breeze. Students came in, sold their books, and the store generated the quantities of titles that they needed for future semesters. So in 2009, when they suddenly noticed a decline in their buy, they knew something had changed.
Just as online retailers have threatened many stores’ rush sales, so too have rogue buyers begun invading campuses during buyback. The most proactive industry leaders, however, understand that just because these buyback predators arrive, doesn’t mean that they have to stay and have started fighting back!
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