When the staff of WCU’s Student Services Incorporated Bookstore decided to try selling new textbooks at used book prices, they expected an increase in sales. What they got instead left them wondering what went wrong. A promotional sale this semester offered West Chester students new books at dramatically lower prices. Fluorescent yellow signs posted next to selected new book titles showed cost differences ranging from a couple of dollars to 20 dollars less than the used book price.
According to Terry Shira, director of the Student Services Bookstore, the sale was an experiment to see if the store could afford to offer students lower prices in the future. “We’re cocerned about textbook prices just like students are. We’re trying to look for different ways to offset your book bill,” Shira said.
Unfortunately, students didn’t respond to the sale. Although there were modest increases in the sales of selected titles, most showed no appreciable increase. Shira was surprised that despite advertising in the store and at the cash register, students continued to ask for used books, even when there was no difference in price.
Shira said, “We don’t want to trick you,” and suggested how students can look for ways to save money at the bookstore. Instead of looking for the yellow and black sticker on the spine of the book, shoppers should compare costs, he said. The used book is not always the best deal.
With most students paying between $400 and $500 for text-books a semester, looking for the best bargains is a major concern. While the store did hope the promotion would make them more competitive, Shira said that was not the driving force behind the sale because the store recognizes the financial burden of buying books each semester.
Competition is not just down the street anymore, he said, but is worldwide. Internet booksellers like thehalf.com and chain retailers like Borders and Barnes & Noble give students many options to find the best prices on books.
Shira said that margins are tight for textbooks. Compared to products like jewelry or clothing with 250 to 500 percent mark ups, textbooks have a 25 percent margin nationally. According to the National Association of College Stores, the majority of money spent on a textbook, 65 percent, goes directly to the publisher.
To make a proper model, the WCU Bookstore carefully selected 10 titles to put on sale. The chosen titles were selected because they had large course enrollment and had not sold well in the past. The store wanted to affect as many students as possible with the sale price, so they also selected titles from many disciplines including accounting, language, economics and education.
This promotional sale is still in the experimental stages and despite poor past performance, the store is considering offering it again. Bookstore staff will be working on new ways to advertise the sale to students, and help them find the best prices on new and used books.
The store could not comment on whether the sale will run for the fall semester. They are, however, identifying possible sale titles and working on strategies for educating the student customer.
Shira said students should always “Look for the bargain and shop wisely” to get the best deals on textbooks.