People, Data, Technology, and Community Working in Sync
A successful campus store doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of the right people, empowered with the right tools, making smart decisions quickly and in partnership with the campus community.
From merchandise curation to course materials management, from technology platforms to sustainability initiatives, high-performing campus stores have certain qualities in common. When these qualities are in place, the store isn’t just a retail space, it’s a driver of student engagement, school pride, and campus revenue.
Here are a few things that set a high-performing campus store apart, in our opinion.
No two campuses are alike, and the store’s merchandise should reflect that. In a high-performing store, regional managers and store managers are empowered to be the primary influencers of merchandising decisions and purchasing.
This allows the store to:
Empowered local decision-making keeps the store relevant and responsive.
In campus stores that we've been enlisted to help with, one of the largest failings we've seen is a simple mismatch of merchandise for the geography or culture. This happens when purchasing starts to become centralized in large organizations instead of decentralized, with the decisions being made closest to the data. And on that note:
Great merchandise decisions aren’t made by gut feeling alone. High-performing stores use inventory and sales data to guide buying decisions.
That means:
When data drives the buy, inventory dollars work harder and sales improve.
In a high-performing store, course materials aren’t an afterthought, they’re a protected and core part of the operation. That means:
Stewardship over course materials ensures that students get the right materials, at the right time, at the best price.
Today’s students expect their campus store to meet them where they are - online and on their phones. High-performing stores:
A strong digital presence doesn’t replace the physical store, it drives traffic to it. It works in harmony with the product you're working so hard to deliver.
One of the most important aspects of having a strong digital footprint is the ability to reach alumni all over the world. We could be working on a campus that has say 10,000 students enrolled currently. We know that's really just the beginning of the story. There are likely 200,000 students with families all over the world that are still interested in products produced and delivered by their alma mater. We view our job as meeting the needs of these stakeholders who are contributing to the brand and fundraising efforts all over the world.
A high-performing store isn’t just for students buying textbooks. It’s a resource for the entire campus community:
The more touchpoints a store has across campus, the more indispensable it becomes.
Top-performing stores align with the strategic goals of the university. That means developing and maintaining relationships with campus leadership, not just the bookstore’s immediate stakeholders.
When the store is part of the broader institutional conversation, it can adapt to campus priorities and contribute to long-term success.
Today’s students care about where their products come from and how they’re made. High-performing stores adopt and promote:
These efforts align with campus values and resonate with students and faculty alike.
Technology is the backbone of a modern campus store. From point-of-sale systems to inventory control and marketing platforms, the tech stack determines how efficiently a store operates and how well it can serve the campus.
The right technology enables:
The degree to which any campus store team is able to solve the challenges that come their way or meet the opportunities that are presented to them largely depends on the technology that they operate with.
When local expertise, data-driven decisions, technology, community engagement, and strategic alignment are all in motion, a campus store becomes more than a place to buy books and gear.
It becomes:
At Valore Campus, we’ve seen firsthand that with the right priorities, the right systems, and the right people, campus stores can thrive, no matter the size of the school or the challenges of the market.
Final Thought: A high-performing campus store is the product of intentional choices. Things like empowering local teams, embracing data, investing in technology, and building deep campus relationships. When these elements align, the store becomes an essential part of the campus experience and a driver of lasting success.
Study on,
Alan
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Alan Martin
VP Sales, Valore Campus
