News

Nebraska Book Company Partners with Bookstores
to Drive Increased Volume at Buy-Back

Four Buy-Back Strategies Lead to Greater Success

Lincoln, Nebraska
Monday, March 5, 2007

Nebraska Book Company, partnering with campus bookstores, implemented four simple buy-back strategies this last buy-back season that lead to a greater number of students selling back textbooks, at those select bookstores, creating a win-win for students and the bookstore—students receive money back for their textbooks and bookstores ensure a greater supply of used textbooks for the following term.

Nebraska Book Company’s four step approach included:

• Building a Strong Buy-Back List – The bookstore’s ability to pay top-dollar for a textbook hinges on a strong buy-back list. Working with faculty to encourage and reward timely adoptions is the answer.
• Pay 50% of New – According to a Harris Interactive study, 81% of students would sell back more textbooks if they received more money. When a textbook has been re-adopted for use the next term, bookstores should pay students 50% of the price of the new textbook during buy-back.
• Post Buy-Back Lists On-Line – It’s a proven fact—55% of the students surveyed by Harris Interactive said they would sell back more books if they knew in advance what they would be worth. Posting buy-back lists online is a simple step that drives more students to the buy-back counter.
• Promote Buy-Back – Advertise. Attract attention. And inform. The bookstore that strives for each and every student being fully aware of the store’s hours and the dates for buy-back wins.

The results are limited to the twenty bookstores that participated in the initial program but overall the company is optimistic that utilizing these four simple approaches will help drive future buy-back results at bookstores across the country.

Mike Kelly, Senior Vice President, Textbook Division, Nebraska Book Company, said, "We are extremely pleased with the results we saw at these select bookstores. Bookstores are taking action to attract more students to their buy-back and the results are clear—students want to do business with the local bookstore and appreciate the bookstore paying top dollar for their textbooks. We plan to roll-out these strategies to our entire customer base this spring."

Success Stories:

• Penn College of Technology … Fall 2006 transactions up 17% over the spring term—dollars up 32.5% simply by adding an alert email to students.
• Cuesta College Bookstore used the CampusHub on-line buy-back feature to promote their buy-back list—the first and second day sales doubled over the previous term.
• University of Louisiana-Lafayette promoted buy-back and increased transactions by 32% and dollars by 33%.

Kelly continued, "The results speak for themselves. We hope more bookstores will become more aggressive in promoting their buy-back so that the supply of used textbooks will continue to increase helping to keep the cost of textbooks affordable for all students."

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