To avoid the rush, the students can now turn to the Web and order the books online. Compare the bookstore experience to the online experience. The student comes home from the first day of classes, goes online, and searches the Internet bookstore by college and course, by title, or by ISBN number. Once found, the student designates new or used book, mode of shipment, and form of payment. The Internet is giving consumers new power by giving them access to real-time knowledge about products and prices.
Books are no exception.
Now, each campus bookstore has some 10 to 20 competitors for each sale. Moreover, the Internet is not only a source to make the purchase, it is a tremendous source of market intelligence. At these sites, the faculty could review the list of titles, see what faculty resources were available to the adopters of each text, and order examination copies. Originally there was no attempt to sell the book directly to students from the publisher's site, but times are changing. Each online bookstore tries to offer a unique buying experience.