The location change of the Ole Miss Barnes & Noble, which took place back in December 2016, has brought many great changes to their business.
General manager, Laurie Woo, says the most important thing for the business is making new people on campus aware of their location. To get the word out about the relocation, Ole Miss Barnes & Noble has taken to social media posts, held several events at their store, and used word of mouth, just to name a few methods.
Notice of the new location is not the only concern Barnes & Noble faces, the accessibility of the new location also affects business.
“Traffic through here is a little different, we lost the convenience factor with it no longer being located in the center of campus,” Woo said. “The commuters have easier access here with so many more parking spots available, but students who live on campus have a little more difficult time getting over here.
Ashley Atkinson a recent Ole Miss graduate, who lives off campus was initially unsure about the new location of the bookstore, but now says that opinion has changed.
“When I just need to pop in quickly and grab something, I find it to actually be much easier at this location because there are not as many people,” Atkinson said.
Students are not the only ones who are impacted by the relocation.
“Without Starbucks in our store we miss a lot of the faculty and staff that we used to see, and people can no longer have their meetings or a study space here anymore,” Woo said.
Miranda Mott, general merchandising manager, says the new location appeals to a new audience.
“We attract more families at this location, I noticed this especially during orientation sessions,” Mott said.
Now that the majority of those sessions are over, the staff at Ole Miss Barnes & Noble is taking action to ensure they’ll be ready when the rush of fall semester students hits.
“We’re making sure we’re getting all books in, getting temps hired, meeting students needs by having all their school supplies handy,” Woo said. “We also have an online pick-up system, and off campus pick up of linen for students’ laundry which we’re preparing for.”
In addition to this, the store plans to have a huge school supply sale once the students return to town to begin their classes.
They are currently highlighting the arrivals of their Fall merchandise that is coming in every week.
Shop all other merchandise including renting textbooks with their price matching system for summer 2017 courses and the upcoming fall semester. Ole Miss Barnes & Noble price matches Amazon, Bn.com, and other local competitors.
Kara Knapik is a student at the Meek School of Journalism. She can be reached at kaknapik@go.olemiss.edu.
