Officials from the University Bookstore said that despite an increase in competitors, both online and in the campus area, sales show that the store is holding its own.
"Despite a growing nationwide interest in online textbook sales, the Bookstore has not experienced a decline in sales for this school year so far," said Melanie Sparks, director of UNM's Bookstore. "It seems like our sales are doing fine. We offer really good, on the spot service that you can't get from an online competitor and I think students appreciate that."
In addition to making sure the Bookstore carries every book required for each class, the new Lobo cash payment option and the no-tax policy on textbooks purchases are ways the Bookstore is proving its continued commitment to serving the students, Sparks said.
"I think we are proving our service value," she said. "We also take extra steps to care for the kids with financial aid or scholarships, and I feel that it's just more convenient to get your books on campus."
Sarah Jensen, a spokeswoman for Akademiks, an online textbook distribution company, said part of the reason more people are buying their textbooks and course materials online is because of its wide assortment of options.
"On the Internet, you can search all over for the best price, and most college students are on a budget," she said. "Most of our new books are anywhere from 10 to 20 percent less than what a student will pay at their university bookstore."
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Akademiks offers free shipping for purchases over $49, and priority shipping is available for students who need their books immediately, which is convenient for students, Jensen said.
"Because of that, and the fact that we offer discounts, more and more college students are turning to services like ours," she said. "It's really raised people's confidence in the whole Internet buying service."
But some books and materials are customized for certain classes in a way that online companies may not be able to keep up with, Sparks said.
"We want to make sure we have the right book for the right class in the student's hand," she said. "Some people have had experience ordering books online and have not gotten what they had needed."
Sparks said UNM's Bookstore recently added a Web site for students to order from to keep up with the ever-growing demand and for those students who need the option of ordering their books online 24 hours a day instead of going into the store.
"Everything is updated every day," said Sparks.
Freshman Kelsi Wainwright bought her books from the Bookstore about two weeks before classes started and said it never occurred to her to look online because the prices were reasonable and the Bookstore carried all her course materials.
"It's more convenient to go to the Bookstore," she said. "You don't have to wait for them, and you just get it all done at once."
