Turning College Bookstores into a standard Retail model....is like trying to put a square block in a round hole. Yes some philosphies may apply....However, unlike standard retail, we have more than just one customer profile to keep happy. We have to keep the students happy, the parents happy, the instructors happy, alumni happy and the administration happy. Each one of these profiles need to be treated differently. Which means the stores need the autonomy to operate as needed. It's not the Bookstores themselves that need to change...its the old bookstore industry models that need to change. The publisher/wholesale models, pricing models based on publisher pricing, buyback and etc...etc...etc. So....point is....trying to combine dieing retail and bookstore models....makes as much sense as wiping your butt with sandpaper.
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And that is why Amazon is the 2nd largest textbook rental company and gaining fast. They represent the new model.