“Russell Markman’s expertise and ability to collaborate really puts him over the top. He has 40 years in the industry and just knows so much. He listened to our goals and created an assessment that opened our eyes to things we probably deep down felt were areas of opportunity but hadn’t articulated. It really clued us into the right ideas and path forward. It was actionable and achievable.”
— Bryan Elmore, CPA, Auburn University, Assistant VP, Budgets & Business Operations
Auburn University came to us with a challenge: How could their current bookstore be reimagined to improve sales and to serve the entire university community? With the retirement of the bookstore director, the leadership team overseeing retail services on campus saw an opportunity to modernize the store’s layout, operations, staffing and merchandise but weren’t sure how to approach the task. But a key question remained: Should the university continue to self-manage the store or move to a contract-managed solution?
Our initial discussions with leadership surfaced two key goals for the bookstore: First, to provide students with affordable course materials they needed to be successful, and second, to transform the store into a beacon for the Auburn University brand and the go-to source for AU gear.
In partnership with the campus and store team, we created a road map for the project to deliver on these goals. We began with a robust discovery and assessment phase designed to:
Providing context, insight and options to facilitate decision making
Based on these activities, we presented our Assessment and Recommendations Report and provided the context, insights and options needed to view the store through a new lens. Our data, competitive research and business planning framed the opportunity to reimagine the role of store and modernize the shopping experience. Course materials would still support student success but a re-integration of branded merchandise would galvanize sales and school spirit and serve the day-to-day needs of students, visitors, faculty and staff.
We facilitated weekly calls and larger discussions that led to the decision to continue forward with a self-managed, revitalized campus store. We assisted in the search for a new store director who was charged with implementing recommendations for a refreshed layout, customer flow, and merchandise mix. Additionally, the university purchased a new point-of-sale and CRM platform, merging course materials within the new e-commerce solution.
Finally, we recommended updating the store name, branding and marketing to reframe the store’s service in the minds and daily habits of all prospective shoppers.
Today, the AU bookstore is in the process of re-establishing itself as the campus store serving the entire university community. The refreshed identity and transformation of the store into a destination on campus for branded merchandise, Apple products, technology support and convenience store items are proceeding. The companion e-commerce platform is in development and will provide the store with a significant opportunity to support students and promote branded merchandise.