Bookstore fee discourages text speculating
By Dane Claussen
OMhaEnwrald
Among the changes at the
University Bookstore students
may notice this fall are a 50-cent
per book "restocking fee,"
more discount sales and more
in-store promotions and cus
tomer education
But just as important are the
"behind-the-scenes" aspects,
such as the installation of a
$74,000 computer, and contin
uing emphasis on service,
quality, used books and retain
Y OF OREGON BOOK STORE .NO
Emerald photo
The bookstore is a great service to students because of its product diversity, employment opportunities
and services such as free check cashing, gift wrapping and notary public.
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ad in the Emerald
ing the 11 percent textbook dis
count, says Jim Williams, book
store manager
The purpose of the restocking
fee, which has already been
tested in the University law
school, is to discourage
students from 'speculating'' —
buying books they may not need
because they drop a class or for
other reasons. Restocking
problems are compounded by
students requesting that a book
be reordered - at considerable
expense to the store - then buy
ing the book elsewhere or
dropping the class, Williams
says
The restocking fee system
has been successful at other
college bookstores, notably
Stanford, he says
"Our intention is positive,"
Williams says, explaining that
discouraging speculation will
lessen bookstore operating
costs and student inconven
ience
The bookstore also plans
more discount sales to
decrease college expenses for
students and allow the book
store to come closer to its goal
— operating at a break-even
point More in-store promotion
and education will alert book
store “members" to the store's
unique services, competitive
prices and tough anti-shoplift
ing policy, he says.
The new computer —
estimated to pay for itself in 2'/j
years — will improve efficiency
at the bookstore in a number of
ways, Williams says Store em
ployees will be able to give
students more accurate infor
mation about the availability of
books and provide professors
with information about numbers
of books purchased by
students, among other services,
he says
The computer won't be a
"cure-all," but “will allow more
outreach," Williams says.
Without pre-registration,
faculty "are in the dark on how
many books they should order,”
Williams says, adding that the
bookstore returns to publishers
and wholesalers an average of
28 percent of the textbooks or
dered
Problems are compounded
by a lead time of at least six
weeks from the time professors
contact the bookstore to the
books being on the shelves, he
says
Used book sales, which in
creased 60 percent last year,
will continue to be encouraged.
Williams says
Because attending college is
expensive, students demand
high quality goods at the lowest
possible prices. Williams says,
adding that he believes the
bookstore has been especially
successful in this respect
Bookstore prices are compe
titive with other merchants in
the area, he says. The Western
College Bookstore Association,
for which Williams serves on a
buying committee, takes bids
for huge quantities of supplies,
and keeps quality in mind as
well, he says.
“You get the quality of a sta
tionery store at a lower price,"
he says with pride.
The store also keeps prices as
low as possible because of its
fiscal goal to operate as close to
a break-even point as possible,
Williams says. Unlike 90 percent
of other college bookstores, the
University Bookstore is not
under pressure to make a profit
for the University administration
or student union, but rather di
rected by its elected board to
serve students, faculty and staff,
he says
Retaining the 11-percent
textbook discount may conflict
with the bookstore’s fiscal goal.
Plans currently call for the dis
count rate to be evaluated at the
end of fall term, Williams says,
adding that the store does 30
percent of the year's business in
the first three weeks of fall term
The discount rate, the highest
of the nation s 72 “big college"
bookstores, might have to be
trimmed because of sales de
clines Sales have dropped
recently despite the bookstore
selling textbooks below cost.
The losses are made up in other
departments, William says
“The big unknown is fall en
rollment," Williams says Sales
for fiscal year 1982-83 are al
ready down 11 percent and that
a 10 to 15 percent drop from last
year’s $5 8 million gross income
is projected, he says
The bookstore also is a great
service to students because of
its product diversity, em
ployment opportunities and
services such as free check
cashing, gift wrapping and no
tary public, he says
“Members should expect a lot
from their bookstore," Williams
says, adding that students can
always make suggestions at the
Sounding Board on the second
floor.
He says that the store's losses
to shoplifting — $60,000 to
$80,000 per year — do not
represent large percentage but
are notable, and that the store
takes a tough stand on shoplift
ing
“We employ student security
guards and then prosecute
to the fullest extent of the law,"
Williams says Prosecuting
shoplifters is unpleasant but
necessary, he says, adding that
the bookstore's reputation
among policemen and area
legal circles is "impeccable "