Colorado State University Bookstore’s Online Comparison Tool Saves Students Thousands

Colorado State University students now can seamlessly multitask their back-to-school to-do list and know that they are saving money on textbooks.

In the last year, the Colorado State University Bookstore saved students more than $6 million on textbooks, and plans to save students even more with its new price comparison software.

The bookstore’s online price comparison tool is the next step in a continued effort to advertise competitive prices and increase textbook affordability for CSU students.

“We’re doing everything we can to keep book prices as low as possible,” said Margaret Gearhart, assistant director of books at CSU Bookstore. “This software allows for a lot more flexibility with book prices on the shelf.”

Gearhart noted lowering textbook prices is an ongoing mission of the CSU Bookstore. The bookstore awards up to $16,000 to as many as 40 students each year and remains a student-centered textbook provider. The new online pricing tool allows students to easily and conveniently compare textbook prices from the CSU Bookstore with prices from other sites such as Amazon.com and Half.com.

It’s this mission that makes senior political science major, Hannah Bruner, an ongoing customer. Bruner has purchased her textbooks from the CSU Bookstore for the last four years. This past January, she explored the online pricing tool and said she found it easy to use. The software also reaffirmed her steadfast bookstore loyalty, she said.

“I didn’t need many textbooks this past semester, but the textbooks I needed were cheaper [at the bookstore] than anywhere else,” said Bruner.

The CSU Bookstore slashed $573,000 off textbook prices last spring.

As of Aug. 2, students can go to the CSU Bookstore website to get details on books for their fall semester classes. Though each vendor, like Amazon.com or Half.com, will require a separate transaction, the software streamlines the checkout process by taking students directly to each vendor’s website. Textbooks purchased from the CSU Bookstore can then be shipped or picked up in-store on campus, saving additional money on shipping costs.

“It’s easy, it’s free, and they can access it from anywhere.” Gearhart joked, and added, “Students can even access the service in their jammies.”

To learn more about the CSU Bookstore’s online tool, visit www.bookstore.colostate.edu.

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