Ford said his textbook business has expanded every semester since he bought the store in 1995. While considering expanding physically, Ford already plans to expand his selection. He said he'd like to start adding a section of daily planners and start carrying audio books. The biggest wave of books and papers to flood Ford's office came after the DePauw Bookstore created a controversy last fall by sending students to Fine Print to check its inventory, then ordering those textbooks and selling the books for less - sometimes at or near cost. But aside from controversy, Ford has also expanded his business through personal contact with professors and by allowing professors to order books on short notice.
Some professors also prefer to support the local bookstore instead of the large corporation.
But while Ford has wooed many professors, he's still working on the students. Some students who happened to avoid the huge lines said they don't really have a preference between the two bookstores. Senior Sarah Burnett also avoided lines by going early, but said she prefers Fine Print for selling books back at semester's end. I've had better luck there.