National Association of College Stores Merges Two Businesses

National Association of College Stores Merges Two Businesses

NACSCORP and Connect2One to Combine Services

OBERLIN, OHIO, February 10, 2016 – The National Association of College Stores (NACS) today announced the merger of two of its operations. Connect2One (C2O), collegiate retailing’s largest general merchandise buying group, and NACSCORP, a wholesale course materials distributor, have combined to create a comprehensive purchasing solution for campus stores. The C2O staff will remain in Cincinnati, Ohio, but will work more closely with, and report into, NACSCORP, which is located in Oberlin, Ohio.

“Combining the strengths of NACSCORP’s book distribution business and highly regarded customer service with the vendor relationships and staff expertise of Connect2One brings together two highly complementary businesses to provide campus retailers with an integrated and more robust business solution,” said NACS CEO Brian Cartier.

For almost 30 years, Connect2One, which has relationships with more than 125 suppliers, has helped its campus store members secure favorable purchasing terms on merchandise that appeals to college students, parents, alumni and fans. NACS purchased Connect2One from Neebo Inc., the owner of Nebraska Book Company, in 2013.

NACSCORP was founded in 1963 to help small stores that couldn’t meet the purchasing minimums of university press publishers. NACSCORP now supports nine million text and trade book titles, both new and used. This includes print on demand, Open Educational Resources, reference and test preparation titles and bargain books from more than 15,000 publishers.

About The National Association of College Stores

The National Association of College Stores (NACS) is the professional trade association representing the $10 billion collegiate retailing industry. NACS represents nearly 4,000 campus retailers and approximately 1,000 industry-related companies that supply course materials and other merchandise and services to campus stores. 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. NACS is headquartered in Oberlin, Ohio. Additional information can be found online at www.nacs.org.