Download resources from NACS educational sessions at your association's meeting

1. Attracting and Engaging Customers

To get your customers' attention, a campus store uses a range of promotional tools. Forbes.com notes that "Creating an amusing and memorable experience can lead to better engagement and repeat interactions" (5/3/2023). How does your store create those experiences? What tools are you using? One way to attract and engage customers is to develop (and build on) an annual marketing calendar for planning and tracking upcoming opportunities, campus events, and store promotions. In this facilitated roundtable, you will work with peers to create a seasonal calendar that works for your store—and share your innovative, successful ideas too.

Does your campus administrator really understand what you do, how you do it, and why it is important to your institution? Can you confidently point to objective and externally validated data that illustrates the qualitative and quantitative performance of your store? Come learn about the evolving NACS Foundation Industry Standards Project, including practical applications that can help you better assess your store’s operations, advocate for resources, and tell your story more effectively. 

3. OnCampus Research Insights: What Changed (and What Didn't) 

Stay up to date with students' course materials buying behaviors! With over 11,000 student responses in the latest Student Watch™ report, join this insightful session to see what changed (and what didn't) as more students returned to in-person learning in 2022. Explore everything from obtaining different course material formats and their satisfaction across various class structures to changes in their spending habits, additional technology needs, and buying behavior trends. 

4. Store Idea Exchange: Let's Talk ProductsYour Store to Tell a Better Story

What's been selling well in your store? What products have surprised you? Have any items been difficult to sell through? Which promotions have been successful? Share your responses in this fun idea exchange and facilitated discussion. Let's talk about what's working, what's not, and discover where there may be new opportunities for your store.

5. The Art & Science of Buying

The roles and responsibilities of a buyer are many and diverse, and one thing is clear: in a fast-changing retail world, buyers must stay alert, flexible, and responsive to market changes that can impact sales, service, and product selection. Learn best practices from peer stores and see how art and science play a role in the buying process. Whether you're new to the role or a seasoned buyer, you can gain insights and tips to improve.

DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES

Seasonal Buying Calendar

Markdown Calendar (provided by Jenny Napier, UD Retail Operations, University of Dayton, OH)

PO form for Vendor Meetings (provided by Shelly Schrimpf, Lope Shops, Grand Canyon University, AZ)

6. Retail Calculations Workshop

An understanding of retail math is crucial to campus stores. In this workshop, we'll take an in-depth look at calculations used in purchasing, daily analysis and running a retail business. Not a numbers person? That's okay! A take-home resource will be provided with calculation tips and practice sheets. 

DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES