Dive Brief:
- Colleges are figuring out ways to reinvent their bookstores by offering cheaper options and selling more than course materials.
- Some schools are using the web to offer price comparison tools for students, and the earlier adoption of course materials due to Higher Education Act guidelines has also given bookstores a chance to source alternatives to new, printed books by the start of each semester.
- Finding new ways to become entrenched in campus culture, such as offering open educational resources and other technology products, may provide new life for college bookstores.
Dive Insight:
For the last several years, campus bookstores have been responding to decreased demand as students turn to many alternative options for cheaper course materials or skip the purchasing entirely. Some schools have decided to close their bookstores on campus, opting instead for online storefronts. Others have partnered with online retailers like Amazon to reduce costs for students and the institution. There are analysts, however, who believe reinventing the role of bookstores will help save them.