Colorado State University Bookstore Named Collegiate Retailer of the Year 

Store recognized for highest level of collegiate retailing excellence

OBERLIN, OHIO, March 9, 2017 -Colorado State University (CSU) Bookstore, Fort Collins, was named the 2017 Collegiate Retailer of the Year (CROY) by the NACS Foundation , a subsidiary of the National Association of College Stores (NACS). The announcement was made at CAMEX 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. CAMEX is the campus store industry’s largest education and tradeshow event.

John Parry, CCR, director of the CSU Bookstore, accepted the award on behalf of the store and the university.

The award recognizes a college store that demonstrates the highest level of collegiate retailing excellence. Judging is based on six criteria: campus connection, academic support, customer commitment, shopping experience, workplace culture, and profitability.

“Every entry made an impressive case for collegiate retailing excellence, but the submission from Colorado State University Bookstore stood out as particularly exceptional. The judges loved their strong campus and community connections,” says Tom Hoffa, vice president, channel partnerships, Pearson Education, and NACS Foundation president.

The Colorado State University Bookstore stood out with its commitment to both campus and community. Along with developing a wide network of partner groups on campus and working to support student orientation and other programs, the bookstore serves as a key partner of the “School is Cool” program at Colorado State University that helps local K-12 students with back-to-school supplies. That important program has provided more than 30,000 supply bags to local students.

With a mission focused on saving students money, the Colorado State University Bookstore has also implemented a range of course material initiatives, including one of the largest buyback operations in the country, with five campus locations. The store also maintains a robust used-book program and has implemented dynamic pricing, alternative formats, rentals, e-books, and inclusive access.

These programs allow the store to maintain a competitive market position, with its course material sales holding steady while others in the industry have witnessed significant decreases. The store saved CSU students more than $5 million on course materials last year alone, through lower-priced options, used books, buyback, and other programs. “We find out what is most important to our campus and then figure out how to provide it in a way that makes business sense,” said Parry.

“Colorado State University Bookstore’s submission was about a true commitment to excellence in all aspects of the criteria and beyond,” says Tommye Miller, former NACS president and retired director, Valdosta State University Bookstore, Valdosta, GA. “The store totally rebranded itself in light of the changing market of higher education and publishing, and did it successfully. Colorado State University Bookstore really does reflect the passion I have for the college store and the vital importance of partnerships.”

The Collegiate Retailer of the Year Award is underwritten through the Tommye and Keith Miller Endowment Fund. The Millers’ passion for the industry inspired the couple to endow a prestigious award that would celebrate a dynamic and forward-thinking store’s achievements.

The NACS Foundation Board of Directors is solely responsible for selecting the Collegiate Retailer of the Year from all the applications submitted. The $5,000 award is given on a biennial basis.

EDITOR’S NOTE: CCR (Certified Collegiate Retailer) is an earned professional designation awarded by NACS.

About The NACS Foundation

Operating for 35 years, the NACS Foundation is the only charitable resource for the collegiate retailing industry. Since its inception, it has disbursed more than $3 million for industry education and research, and awarded more than 3,000 professional development grants to college store personnel. The NACS Foundation has touched the careers of thousands of collegiate retailing professionals and counts some of the industry’s leading vendors among its top corporate donors.

About The National Association of College Stores

The National Association of College Stores (NACS), headquartered in Oberlin, Ohio, is the professional trade association of the $10 billion campus store industry. NACS provides education and other resources that help its member stores support student success, the campus experience, and the academic missions of higher education institutions. The association represents all campus stores, which include nearly 4,000 campuses in the U.S. and Canada, and approximately 1,000 industry-related companies that supply course materials and other merchandise and services to campus stores.