I go to Marwil's because a lot of times their lines are shorter. For students who want to shop at a bookstore but beat the hustle and bustle of the first weeks, Barnes and Nobles offers a textbook packaging program where students can turn in a list of classes they will be taking the upcoming semester via e-mail or fax. The program is offered right up to the beginning of the semester. This way, students have the choice of selecting either used or new textbooks. Last year was the first year of the program and DiVirgilio said it was quite successful.
Some students purchase books from online textbook sites.
Kramer said some students come in to see if they can get the same textbooks on the internet. Online textbook sites are competition for Marwil's and Barnes and Nobles but not generally a threat to their sales. What it does do it makes the consumer more informed. Kramer said there is nothing wrong with shopping online but there are a lot of variables that have to be taken into consideration. If a student has to return a book because he or she made the wrong selection or had to drop the class, the student has to go through the task of sending it back for credit.