Here’s How to Maximize Your Store’s Impact This Fall
Our Rush Readiness Guide provides the tools you need to ensure strong student support and store performance during the back-to-school season.
For many first-year students, especially first-generation students, starting college can be overwhelming. We know your campus is already doing a lot to support these students, but the role the campus store plays in student success is often overlooked. As we enter a new term, let’s explore the crucial role your store plays in making students feel welcomed, informed, and prepared. This blog serves as your back-to-campus rush readiness toolkit, sharing five ways you can improve the student experience in partnership with your campus store.
For new students, knowing where to go to find course materials is not always intuitive. Here are three ways you can make it easy for students to find the course materials they need to be successful:
- Prominent Website Placement: Feature your campus store’s website prominently on your school’s website, especially in areas with key information on registration, orientation, and campus services. Conduct a quick audit of these links before the fall term to ensure accuracy. Since instructors submit adoptions to your campus store, the store is the best and most accurate place for students to find their exact assigned course materials.
- Orientation Inclusion: Ensure the campus store is a stop on campus orientation tours and is clearly marked on campus maps. This familiarizes new students with the store’s location and importance early on.
- Parental Communication: Share information about your store and its services, including course materials, in communications to parents and guardians. Inform them about how financial aid can be used to purchase course materials in-store, if applicable. Parental communications should also include your store’s website and information what students can find in store, beyond course materials.
Ensuring that students can use financial aid funds at the campus store is crucial for students that rely on financial aid to gain timely access to course materials. When you integrate financial aid and campus cards with the campus store, students can purchase books, technology, and supplies before the term starts, rather than waiting up to several weeks for their financial aid funds to be disbursed.
Studies have shown that students who delay purchasing course materials experience negative impacts, including increased likelihood of a lower grade and increased rates of drops and withdrawals. By integrating financial aid, students can get the materials they need right away, supporting their academic success and preventing delays that could negatively impact their performance.
If you’re not sure whether your store has a financial aid integration, talk to a member of our team for a check-up prior to the fall term start.
Communication is key to ensuring students can make the most of their financial aid. Follett offers an email service that automates this process for your campus. We send personalized emails to students with their financial aid information, including key dates and the exact amount available. This service makes it easy for students to know when and how they can use their financial aid to easily purchase course materials and supplies. By keeping students informed, we help them access the materials they need without unnecessary delays.
Speaking of email, why stop at just financial aid updates? Students crave communication from your store, and we’ve got more to offer than just textbooks. Engage them with updates on tech discounts, sales, and special promotions through store-branded email campaigns. By providing timely and relevant information, you keep students informed about every opportunity to save or show their school spirit, all while supporting your campus
Campuses that share student email lists also experience impressive improvements in store sales. Check out a few success stories:
Because Follett operates as an extension of your campus brand, our unsubscribe rates are the lowest of any company in the industry. As always, student data privacy, FERPA compliance, and email marketing regulations including CAN-SPAM (US), CASL (Canada), and GDPR compliance are of utmost importance.
Help students stay informed about what’s available in the campus store by leveraging the various communication channels your students use to keep up with what’s new on campus. Use social media, school newsletters, student newspapers, and other school-specific channels to share information on how course materials are organized in your store and where to find them online. You can also highlight the convenience of scanning QR codes in-store to purchase eBooks for students who prefer digital formats. By sharing campus store updates on these channels, you can ensure that students are well-informed and knowledgeable about what your store has to offer, making them more likely to shop local and contribute to your campus.
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As your campus partner, we’re committed to making shopping for course materials, supplies, convenience items, and branded merchandise as easy as possible for your students. Our team is ready to help make sure your store’s experience delivers exceptional customer service during this busy time. Have a question about expanding your assortment, improving course material affordability, or ensuring seamless technology integrations? Get in touch!