Cal State Long Beach’s 49er Shops’ upcoming partnership with Amazon is one of camaraderie, not competition, as the campus nonprofit retailer joins forces with the billion-dollar online market to provide Amazon@TheBeach starting fall 2016.
49er Shops announced its partnership with Amazon to provide the on-campus pickup location in the University Bookstore in a press release distributed April 27, but the campus retailer had been in talks with the website for more than a year. This isn’t the first time the two companies have worked together, according to Kierstin Stickney, director of marketing and communications at 49er Shops.
Stickney cited the bookstore’s textbook comparison tool, titled BeachBookCompare, which allows students to review prices from the University Bookstore as well as other online retailers such as Chegg, Half — an eBay subsidiary — and Amazon itself as an example of past cooperation.
“This transparency in pricing has helped gain students’ confidence in our efforts to truly provide the best service possible,” Stickney said in an email.
49er Shops will receive a commission of 0.5 percent to 1.5 percent for items delivered to the Amazon@TheBeach location, according to Stickney. She also emphasized the new pickup location as usable for more than just textbook delivery.
“Amazon sells virtually everything and the impetus behind bringing Amazon@TheBeach to campus was to provide convenience for our campus community to pick up and return anything purchased from Amazon,” Stickney said.
According to the National Association of College Stores, a nonprofit association focusing on campus retailers, United States college bookstores took in an average of $2 million in sales from 2014-2015.
49er Shops’ Bookstore reported $7,669,121 in gross profit for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015 in its annual report. Stickney clarified in a later email that the bookstore also reported an operating income of $434,000 for the 2014-2015 year after factoring in student pay, utilities, credit card fees and other costs.
Amazon spokesperson Deborah Bass did not disclose any financial agreements made with the university, but described Amazon’s decision to partner with CSULB as extending a helping hand to students and universities.
“Many schools are feeling the pressure around the cost of higher education,” she said in an email. “We are here to offer more opportunities for students to save on their overall costs along with great customer service, better selection and convenience.”
The on-campus location is also located about a mile away from an already existing Amazon Locker location adjacent to campus at the 7-Eleven on the corner of Palo Verde Avenue and Atherton Street.
When asked about the two locations, Bass emphasized the centrality of the retailer’s upcoming Amazon@TheBeach location.
“…[W]e want to make sure a pickup location is as centrally located to the student community as possible so students can easily and safely pick up their packages,” Bass said.
Stickney said that the 7-Eleven Locker “is not an on-campus location.”
The new pickup location will also require reorganization of current bookstore operations. Stickney described how the Campus Copy Center, currently located adjacent to the bookstore, will be redesigned to accommodate Amazon@TheBeach. The print portion of the center will be relocated to the University Print Shop, and delivery operations will be moved inside the bookstore itself adjacent to ID Card Services.
Amazon launched its textbook rental program in 2011, claiming it could save students 70 percent in a press release from the announcement. The online retailer first implemented college pickup locations in February 2015 with the first location opening at Purdue University. Since then, the service has expanded to University of California campuses such as the system’s Berkeley and Santa Barbara locations.