retailconnection

For most retailers, football season is background noise. For a campus bookstore, it’s a second peak season almost as important as move-in — a recurring, predictable surge of fans, alumni, and families who show up every home Saturday ready to spend on spirit gear. The stores that treat game days as a real retail channel, … Continue reading →

Most training programs fail for the same reason: they treat learning as a one-time event instead of an ongoing habit. New hires sit through a long orientation, nod along, and then forget half of it by their second shift. The retailers and businesses that build genuinely capable teams have moved away from that model entirely, … Continue reading →

Move-in day is stressful enough without adding extra stressors to the list. The best campus bookstores have figured out that their job during move-in isn’t just to sell textbooks — it’s to remove friction for students and families who are already juggling a hundred other things. Here are three ways bookstores are doing exactly that. … Continue reading →

Move-in week is equal parts chaos and opportunity. Parents are hauling mini-fridges up stairwells, first-years are wide-eyed and overwhelmed, and for a few short days, the entire campus population funnels through a handful of buildings — one of which is usually the bookstore. The question isn’t whether people will come. They will. The question is … Continue reading →

Attention grabbing displays are one of the most powerful tools any retailer has at their disposal. They center a shopper’s vision, communicate ideas, reinforce brand identity, encourage impulse purchases, and simplify the shopping experience all at the same time. Find out how you can build high-impact displays in your store today. Prioritize eye level placement … Continue reading →

Excess inventory can be a huge pain point for campus bookstores. Today, we’re sharing some neat tips and strategies you can use to sell-through your old inventory and free up space for new products. Offer discounts and clearance sales A quick, tried-and-true method of selling excess inventory is to offer deep discounts. Everybody loves a … Continue reading →

Forecasting demand for the upcoming fall semester is an important task for any college bookstore. Learn how you can go about forecasting demand in this week’s blog. Community Colleges are Growing The first thing to note when forecasting fall demand is that demand will be different for community colleges and 4-year institutions. For the past … Continue reading →

Effective visual merchandising is an important tool for retailers, especially during the back-to-school season. Good merchandising engages your shoppers, drives foot traffic, and increases shopping cart conversions to boost your revenue and meet sales goals. Keep reading to find some merchandising strategies for the back-to-school rush. Build Attractive Displays Visually appealing product displays are crucial … Continue reading →

Several businesses run on seasonal cycles, and your college bookstore is no exception. Summer can be an especially slow season for many campus retailers due to the lack of students on campus. However, don’t look at summer as an obstacle to overcome; view this off-season as an opportunity to tap into strategic initiatives. Keep reading … Continue reading →

Training retail staff is an incredibly important part of running a campus bookstore. Without the proper training, staff won’t know how to handle customer service, run the checkout stand, restock items, and other crucial aspects of their role. Learn what mistakes to avoid when training staff to make sure your employees can competently handle any … Continue reading →