Programs
Clarion University specializes in preparing students for professional careers
by offering more than 90 degree programs.
Location
Clarion, Pennsylvania
Enrollment
6,500 students from 31 states and 30 countries
CASE STUDY
SparkNotes Ignite Bookstore Sales
Clarion University - Clarion,
Pennsylvania
"In the past when students came in looking for study aids, most of them were searching for Cliffs Notes. Now they ask for SparkNotes because they're well organized, inexpensive, and easy to understand. MBS set us up with SparkNotes so that everything was built just for our store and we got a great discount on them!" Juliette Johnson, Book Center Manager, Clarion University
Client Challenge
Knowing that students are continually searching for study aids and supplements
to help them in the classroom, and understanding that students have little
disposable income after basic college expenses, Clarion University Book Center
staff wanted to offer quality educational supplements that wouldn't break the
bank.
Solution
MBS Textbook Exchange presented Clarion with SparkNotes-the fastest selling
study guides and review charts in today's educational materials marketplace.
Written by top students and recent graduates who are experts in their fields of
study, SparkNotes present need-to-know information clearly and concisely, and
they're economical for both students and bookstores.
To get Clarion off on the right foot with SparkNotes, the store's MBS Wholesale
Representatives created a customized merchandising and inventory plan based on
the university's courses and faculty textbook adoptions. With this tailored
plan, Clarion was able to stock only the SparkNotes that were relevant to
courses offered on their campus so there was no costly excess inventory.
From there, MBS extended the bookstore a discount of 60% off retail on all
SparkNotes products. The profit potential was enormous! And Clarion's MBS
Wholesale Representatives were so sure that the bookstore would love SparkNotes
that they gave them a no-risk guarantee on their first order. If Clarion wasn't
completely satisfied with the product, they could return the unsold merchandise
for full credit.
But there was no unsold merchandise; in fact, sales of SparkNotes products at
Clarion were so brisk that they needed to replenish quickly. Reordering was a
snap as MBS provided a secure online ordering site that "remembered" the
store's customized selection of SparkNotes and offered them same-day shipping
on orders placed by 1:00 p.m. Clarion ordered more SparkNotes and received
their subsequent shipment without delay.
