And so it begins, Follett out at Umass Amherst Bookstore http://dailycollegian.com/2015/01/13/umass-to-replace-university-stores-textbook-annex-with-virtual-amazon-bookstore/
25 replies (most recent on top)
I don't like this at all, but then if Follett had done a decent job, maybe this wouldn't have happened..
The next deep throat!! Starring MLS, DG, GVP & RM's this will be a "FLASH SHOW"
great job A keep helping students save!!
KK - the 1st Director to lose a store to Amazon.
I would argue do you need a campus textbook store on campus taking up so much space. Let Amazon sell it, let Follett and BN run the spirit shops.
Family should sell quick. Amazon is developing the infrastructure to dominate this market.
88266 Hit the nail on the head. Anyone can sell coffee and snacks. GM still sucks.
Don't forget DG's celebration of Follett's REAL strategic competencies per the Christmas letter; "Problem solving and Decision making." That is apparently all we need.
5% of high sales is better than 10% of nothing, which is what Follet will sell if Amazon has ithe same book cheaper.
If Follett doesn't handle text, what is its innate special differentiator? Once upon a time retailing books that it published, bought as used from students, bought new from other publishers at such scale was the value it brought. It brought an institutional knowledge of how to drive efficiencies while offering students a decent deal on text buy back. Without text, they're just another retailer. They do that poorly.
Bye bye cmm's store managers will handle all things textbooks. Why continue to pay the second highest salary in the store to the cmm when that department continues to shrink.
Awhh what are you going sell eh? No lattes even.
funny, I got told after three RMs I was never allowed to ask about adding a coffee shop again. Sniff. Sniff.
Same here, coffee shop and energy drinks.
I have a newly renovated store with too small text department, lots of clothes, and a new coffee shop. My VP told me that this is the new business model. I think we will be the campus shop, not the bookstore.
I have to say the response from his Donness was disheartening. It boiled down to "oh yeah? well, we're still better so pffffffttt!"
Non text is the new Follett. Just look at the focus for the past two years.
Who are you kidding. Bookstores sales on non text book items is not going to keep the company afloat.
3 stores nationwide - not a worry.
Are you kidding. ML and DG are happy, Follett keeps the non text store so they can sell coffee and everything non text. Won't need the bluebook at this location.
"Follett Corp., which manages the University Store and textbook annex, will continue to operate the University Store in the Campus Center, which sells clothing, electronics and more."
This is the future, mark my words, they will go in and annihilate us with this strategy. It'll be an attrition war, and they have a bigger cash pile than we do. Schools will benefit due to competition as their cut will certainly go up.
Does ML realize amazon has far more product offerings than Follett = more $$ to the school. DUH!!!
As ML says, she is more than willing to pay these school more than 5% which is what Amazon is paying.
The Director there is a tool-bag.
Yup. One by one.