Why Students Still Love Rentals, and Why They May Be Here to Stay
If you’ve been following the textbook market from the outside, you might think textbook rentals have gone the way of the floppy disk. Amazon stopped renting textbooks in 2023. Several online rental companies have disappeared entirely. Industry chatter seems to suggest the model is “over.”
But on the ground, in the campus stores we operate across the country, the story is completely different. In fact, over half of the textbooks we move through our stores are still rentals. And students aren’t just renting, they’re renting enthusiastically.
The core appeal of rentals has always been simple: get the book you need, at the lowest possible cost. But the real magic happens when rentals start with used books instead of new.
At Valore Campus:
That means a used rental is often cheaper than the cost of a digital textbook ... sometimes significantly so. Students get the benefits of a physical book they can highlight, mark up, and study from, without paying digital prices.
Based on our campus store experience, here’s why the rental model still thrives:
Much like our perspective on physical vs. digital textbooks in general, we don’t see rentals as “competing” with digital formats. For many students, rentals are simply delivering more value than digital. Rentals are a more affordable option that still allows them to learn in their preferred format.
When a rental costs less than a digital license, it’s a no-brainer for cost-conscious students who value the tactile benefits of print.
Our model works because it’s integrated into the campus store experience:
When rentals are visible, accessible, hassle-free, and priced right, the format thrives on campus.
The truth is, textbook rentals haven’t disappeared. More and more they’ve simply shifted to where they work best: on campus, where pickup and returns are easy, the price is right, and the correct book ends up in the student's hands, every time.
For students, when all is said and done, rentals are the sweet spot: the lowest price, the preferred format, and no sacrifice in quality or convenience. In our experience, that’s a winning formula.
Great! Each campus and each community of students, advisors, and faculty need to make the decisions that support academic success long-term. Our approach has been to remain content agnostic, state the benefits of either path, and expect the campus to make the best decision possible. Every campus operates on a spectrum which includes digital and physical content. The degree to which any given format occupies the bulk of that spectrum should be underpinned by aspects of student success. How do students learn best? What format is more affordable? With which content types are faculty most effective? Assuming you are working with a provider that can provide any type of content (like Valore Campus and others), you should have the full support of your partner to execute the course material program that suits you best.
Study on,
Alan
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Alan Martin
VP Sales, Valore Campus
