Advocacy Articles

Advocacy Revisited
By Mark Palmore, Institutional Store Advocate and Executive Director

In February of 2000 an article appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education titled “Whose Bookstore Is It Anyway?”  The author John Pulley addressed some issues related to the college store, but he failed to mention the impact leasing has on students and on those campuses that decide to lease their store.  At that time I wrote a letter to the editor which was published on March 10, 2000.  In my letter I made some important points that I would like to reiterate to all of you in hope that you will pass them along to your campus administration.

When a store goes lease, students lose.  Not only do they pay higher prices, but students lose a supporter and advocate for their concerns and activities.  The campus bookstore is an integral part of campus life, often contributing funding and support to campus groups.  Leased bookstores are under no obligation to continue this type of support.  Their mission is to satisfy corporate objectives, not campus objectives.  So, the student loses!

Why outsource a profit center?  The institutional bookstore often contributes substantial revenue to the campus and its programs.  While contract management may seem to offer fewer hassles for the same or more revenue, consider that a company who secures the lease will raise prices and cut costs.  If it is more revenue your administration is after, then raise the prices yourself and keep control of your store.

It is difficult to take back your store after you have gone lease.  A contract operator will typically pay a token sum for your inventory.  However, at the end of the lease, if you aren’t happy with the contract operator and would like to take back your store it will require sometimes millions of dollars to purchase the inventory to get back in the bookstore business.  Therefore, consider the decision a one-way street without a street sign; don’t take the chance that you turned the wrong way.

Finally, you have control over your bookstore.  You set the hours, the policies, the products you carry, and you know your students.  Once leased, the bookstore operation is largely out of your control.  Do you really want to lose control of something so vital to your campus?  Keep your store institutional/self-op, you’ll be glad you did.