Traditional book stores face new competition

As though the line to purchase a parking permit or get another phone line installed wasn't discouraging enough, students must contend with lines at bookstores. Frequently they wait more than once if some books haven't come in yet or are only available at certain stores.

New Websites intend to make the wait at campus bookstores disappear. The biggest names in the industry, varsitybooks.com, efollett.com and bigword.com, garner attention by advertising lower prices and better service. Students, however, still need to be convinced to use these services instead of the traditional bookstores.

JESSICA JOHSON/Daily Andrea Wright, senior in LSA, purchases a book on Race and Human Evolution at Shaman Drum.

Many students first became exposed to the possibility of online textbook shopping this year. A few Websites, including varsitybooks.com, began selling textbooks for the first time two years ago.

"A year ago most of (the Websites) didn't even exist," said Dave Richard, general manager of Ulrich's.

Now online booksellers are attempting to jump-start this year with a big publicity push, including flyers on campus. Most students don't accept the flyers, said www.theuzone.com student representative Tammy Eddy, although it could be to their advantage.

The site offers textbooks to students at cost and without the hassle of lines. "I've been a student in the past, and getting your books is outrageous," Eddy said. "A lot of people are online these days, and, with this, you just click."

Some students, however, find the campus bookstore just as convenient. LSA sophomore Vatasha Ebanks, for example, prefers to go to the closest store. "Just cause I'd rather get my books myself, I'm not really interested," she said.

Others prefer to take a chance online to avoid lines at local booksellers, Eddy said. "Instead of standing in line all day long, (Websites] offer the same books," she said.

Most students shopping at Ulrich's don't wait longer than 15 minutes in line, Richard said. The wait is not enough of a factor to for students to buy online. "The long lines are only a factor for 3-4 days during a rush period," Richard said.

Online shopping allows students to look for the best price. Sites such as vivasmart.com even compare textbook prices from a variety of Internet sellers, which may be a better alternative to campus sources.

"Usually campus bookstores offer books at retail," said Rob Levinson, director of marketing and communications for online textbook seller www.edu.com. "It's top dollar.

Shopping over the Internet can add to the hidden cost of purchases, however. Some sites do not include shipping. In other cases, online booksellers cannot provide a textbook and workbook in a package or used copies of a book as readily as a campus store.

These factors can complicate the search for the best deal. Finding the best value, whether it's online or in a bookstore, depends on how much effort the student applies to the task. "They just need to comparison shop," Richard said. "All the responsibility falls on the consumer."

Students have other concerns besides price, such as availability. Since Websites sell books to students across the country, they may not carry all the books for University courses or ship the order immediately. "I just thought it would be more convenient to get my books directly from the university because they know what I need," LSA first year student Joe Sosa said.

Buying from campus stores also allows students to return unwanted purchases without a hassle. Richard said one student tried to return a book to his store after buying the wrong edition from a Website. In the store, "you get to see the book," Richard said. "You know it's the right book, and you can return it easily if it's not."

In addition to return policies, customers need to check web sites for security. Shoppers have to check for privacy policies for their personal information as well as protection for their credit card number. "You really have to go to a site you trust," Levinson said. "You want to know that they've been established and that people had good experiences."

Several local booksellers, including Ulrich's and Shaman Drum, offer online shopping for students. Ulrich's site offers a reserve option so students can pick up their books and head for the checkout line. Shaman Drum's new Internet site, which started this year, actually sells books to students with credit cards so they can avoid the line.

Shaman Drum expanded into the Internet to give students more options and shorten lines. Customers responded very positively to the innovation, manager Karl Pohrt said. "I think that consumers these days are demanding a very high quality of service," he said. "We're just trying to provide that for our customers."

Local booksellers may change in other ways to keep pace with their online counterparts, as Internet buying grows. "Bookstores have to become much more competitive because they no longer have the monopoly on students," Levinson said.

No definitive answers are in yet. Online shopping will take time to find a market among students, especially with competition from campus bookstores. The competition, however, may improve service for all students shopping for textbooks. "I think both can coexist," Richard said. "I think our main job is to improve or keep our customer service at the same level."

JESSICA JOHNSON/Daily Shannon Beutel, a 5th year LSA senior, displays her $101, store bought Physics 401 book. She's returning it to buy the same book online for $73.

09-16-99