In the corner of the Seton Hill University Bookstore sit a few short aisles stacked with textbooks.
Most of the Sullivan Hall store is devoted to apparel, school supplies and gifts. A few shelves are stocked with personal care items, while a multi-tiered Boots cosmetics display and a collection of Crabtree & Evelyn lotions earn prime real estate near the checkout counter.
“It used to be books took up three-quarters of the store,” said Barbara Hinkle, Seton Hill vice president for administration and the university’s registrar.
Today, textbooks occupy about a quarter of the store, managed by Nebraska-based Neebo, which owns more than 250 college bookstores nationwide.
“(The store) has done a nice job adapting. Students want stuff,” Hinkle said, motioning to a metal bin of stuffed Griffins, the school’s mascot.
Seton Hill keeps students shopping in-house by offering rentals and e-books and beating competitors’ prices by 10 percent if students show they found a lower price elsewhere.
“The price match has kept our sales where they are,” said Amy Biller, bookstore manager. —College bookstores adapting to changing times with additional services – Financial and Business News – MENAFN.
In hindsight – I see that the article I cited is the _same_ as the one you cited. I read the dead tree version this morning, and went to the paper’s website to provide you a link without checking your link first. Oops
Awesome! Where was the price match minus 10% when I went there? That’s a great program.
A similar article was in the Tribune-Review today, as well: http://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/4596821-74/students-store-university#axzz2eL2J0QDv