Foreword Online

Ideas, information and industry news for collegiate retailers



Panola College Store Boosts Sales With a Personalized Touch

Posted by Lori Reese on 8/21/17 5:30 AM

Panola College Store Director Rebecca Courtney has a proven retail strategy: She listens and learns. She wants to ensure the college store serves as what she calls “a one-stop shop” for the 2,500 students at the Carthage, Texas community college. It offers everything from textbooks and pens to cappuccinos and keychains, but Courtney hasn’t stopped there. She maintains an ongoing dialog with customers that keeps her informed about students’ wishes.

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Colleges in Crisis

Posted by Liz Schulte on 8/16/17 5:30 AM

Colleges face changes in the educational landscape daily. However, the current storm of revenue losses, student stressors and negative public perception has thrust many into uncharted territories. What are the issues facing today’s administration and how do they affect the college store? 

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Turning the Spotlight on You

Posted by Liz Schulte on 8/14/17 5:30 AM

What do you do to set your store apart and connect with students? Do you have an annual event everyone looks forward to attending? Has your store hosted an event that went over really well with students? We would love to share your story with our readers!

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Don’t Miss All That Foreword Online Has to Offer

Posted by Liz Schulte on 8/10/17 5:30 AM

Foreword Online shares a new post daily to help you stay a step ahead. We cover the topics important to college stores ranging from monthly marketing plans with promotional materials included to posts that highlight other college stores and what they do to set themselves apart. Striving to bring you the latest in retail news, ideas and developments, we would like to hear from you about what topics you would like to read more about.

Check out some posts you might have missed below.

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Why Not Laundry? Bookstores Can Cater to a Need of All Students

Posted by Connor Wiemann on 8/9/17 5:30 AM

One rainy Tuesday morning I was late for class. I leapt out of bed and rushed to the shower. As I lathered in shampoo and conditioner, the realization hit me — I had no clean underwear.

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Social Media Spectacular Part Three

Posted by Liz Schulte on 7/7/17 5:30 AM

A variety of content is always a good idea. Offering a combination of images, links, videos and statuses is the best way to reach a broader market of students. Everyone likes different things on social media. I love memes that make me laugh; I stop to read all of them as I am scrolling through my feeds. However, I have friends who watch every video that comes through their feed. By offering a variety, everyone can find something on your page that interests them, which increases their chances of interacting.

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Social Media Spectacular Part Two

Posted by Liz Schulte on 6/30/17 5:30 AM

You know your students better than anyone. Everything you need to know to reach them on social media is at your fingertips. Why guess at what platforms they are on when you can simply ask them as they come into the store. Start that dialogue with students and use it to offer them a service they want through your social media efforts. Today we are going to discuss how to determine where to find your audience and how to make your page an asset to them.

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Social Media Spectacular Part One

Posted by Liz Schulte on 6/23/17 5:30 AM

Building a fanbase on social media isn’t as hard as you think. It boils down to knowing how the platforms work, understanding your audience and offering a variety of content. Once you master these elements, apply consistently. Your posts can experience what I call the web effect — a reach that builds itself as friends influence each other’s choices. Over the next three Fridays, we’re going break down how each of these aspects — platforms, audience, variety — should influence what you do on a day-to-day basis.

Welcome to the social media spectacular!

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'April Showers Bring May Flowers' Customer Appreciation Sale

Posted by Jason Smallheer on 4/3/17 5:30 AM

Host an April Showers Bring May Flowers customer appreciation extravaganza; your opportunity to make sales and motivate the troops as buyback approaches. With students preparing for exams and needing last minute supplies, you have an opportunity to generate a bump in sales.

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Don’t Give up on Brick-and-Mortar

Posted by Liz Schulte on 3/7/17 5:30 AM

Everywhere you look there is another article touting the benefits of eCommerce — and it is impressive. However, brick-and-mortar stores are still going strong and shoppers’ reasons for choosing in-person shopping over online shopping remain valid, as do the reasons some shoppers prefer making online purchases. The beauty of the dilemma is that it doesn’t have to be one or the other. Not only can both exist in harmony, but they can work together to provide a better experience for the shopper and the store.

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