Like many college stores, the Thompson Rivers University Bookstore has weathered a lot of industry changes over the last few years. Searching for a way to counteract declining textbook sales and improve student service, Course Materials Purchasing Coordinator Jon Mackintosh signed up for SimpleSource with the hope that he could save time and bring more high-quality used wholesale textbooks into the store.
Campus store professionals are busy. Increasingly asked to do more with fewer resources, stores need tools that will streamline workloads and help keep costs down. When MBS presented SimpleSource to the Skyline College Bookstore, Store Manager Kevin Chak immediately saw the potential it had to save him and the store a lot of time.
The URI Campus Store has always used a bin-and-hold system for its wantlist fulfillment and hasn't relied on marketplace sourcing. When the store staff saw MBS’ latest, innovative ordering tool, SimpleSource, they recognized that it had the potential to streamline their wholesale wantlist fulfillment and provide greater order transparency.
It's known throughout the industry that MBS prides itself in rolling out the red carpet for bookstores as they visit the company's home office in Columbia, Missouri. That treatment isn't limited to MBS' existing customers, however. The company's doors are also open to stores who don't currently partner with MBS interested in learning more about the services and access to quality used titles MBS can provide, as three stores saw Tuesday.
University of Dayton Bookstore had been a loyal partner store to its wholesaler for four decades. They had no particular qualms about their wholesaler or how they did business, but when the store needed more used titles to help students’ textbook scholarships go further, officials took a closer look at the alternative sources they'd utilized to fill gaps in their orders.
The following excerpt is from an article written by Jake New, Editor, and published on eCampus News. New offers important insight into recent studies on student textbook preferences and the reasons behind the research. Check out the details below then view the full article for further details on the studies.
The following excerpt is from a blog written by MBS Rep Rob Heller. Check out all his entertaining entries here!
In recent years, the rising cost of textbooks has caught the attention of everyone from government agencies to the media. But, college stores have been taking action against the issue for years, ensuring they offer the lowest prices possible to their students. Columbus State Community College, located in Columbus, Ohio, has been at the forefront of the movement, doing all that they can to provide the best value; and they have faculty, students, administration and, of course, bookstore staff members, involved in the effort.
A book can transport its reader to countless destinations, and when it’s through, its pages can be re-purposed into just as many new uses. Just ask Kimberlee Ferris, textbook manager at St. Mary’s University Bookstore in San Antonio, Texas.
Between rogue buyers and online retailers, students now have plenty of options when it comes to where to sell their books. That’s why it’s so important that college stores continually evolve their buyback strategy.
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