The Looming Wave

This month’s, The College Store magazine features an article written by Mark entitled, “The Looming Wave.” The article is a must read for college stores as it discusses how digital is affecting the college store industry today and what we can expect in the near future. The article points out that digital course materials will not replace print overnight but they will likely have an impact on course material sales beginning this fall and a growing impact within the next several years. Many college stores are not yet prepared for the effect that digital will have. There is still time to prepare but everyday that goes by without a plan is time lost that could have been used to secure market share for the future. Stores must use this time to participate in environmental scanning and monitor the competition as there are many potential new entrants vying for a piece of the market. It is hoped that NACS’ efforts will help address the market forces affecting the industry but more efforts may be required, particularly on the part of individual stores or other groups, in order to successfully transition to the college store of the future.