Buyback campaign succeeds

By Brad Fischer

Published June 6, 2007

Despite competition from off-campus book retailers, the book buyback in May was the second most successful book buyback the University Bookstore has had.

The store spent 13 percent more money on books this year than in 2006, assistant store Director Katie Lockwood said. The best year for book buyback was 2005.

The University Bookstore pledged to offer 50 percent of the cost of a new book if the faculty planned to use the book again during summer or fall semester.

If faculty did not turn in a book order for a particular textbook, a wholesaler frequently offered to purchase the book at a lower price.

The University Bookstore marketed the book buyback period with its "Choose Used" campaign. The campaign encourages students to sell their books back to the University Bookstore and to buy used books in the fall. The campaign shows figures about how money spent at the store goes back into the university.

Student and Auxiliary Services spokeswoman Michelle Froese said the campaign tries to publicize how the store benefits the university.

"We just want students to know that when they shop with the bookstore, all profits remain on campus and benefit student facilities and services," Froese said.

Part of the marketing plan also extended to faculty. If a book order is not turned in on time, then students might not get half of the cost of a new book.

This year, the bookstore spoke with faculty on a department-by-department basis on the importance of the book orders and took out advertisements in the faculty newspaper.

The University Bookstore also had to deal with off-campus competitors in the book-buyback market. MU students Aaron and Brandon Knoblauch rented a storefront on Elm Street, as well as a tent in the Shakespeare's Pizza parking lot for their company, 1Up Books. The brothers offered customers a coupon for a free slice of pizza. During final exams week, the company bought about 1,000 books.

Brandon Knoblauch said the company generally bought back books at about 5 percent less than the bookstore. He said longer hours, the free slice of pizza and location made the difference in what he described as a week that went well. The company is selling the books it bought back on the Internet at various retailers. In the fall, Brandon Knoblauch said the company hopes to open to sell books at a storefront as well as online.

Lockwood thought the University Bookstore was not hurt by outside stores, such as 1Up Books, and that the competition might actually drive book sales.

"Sometimes additional buyback locations just raises awareness among students that buyback is an option for them at the end of the semester," Lockwood stated in an e-mail.