It is safe to say that when it comes to buying things online, many turn to websites such as Amazon simply because they offer free/cheap shipping and have a variety of products available, but what does this mean for smaller sellers who are just trying to make a living? Does this mean that their services and shops have become redundant?Perhaps, but in a bid to help rejuvenate sales in schools and to cash in on the sale of textbooks, Amazon has recently announced that they have struck up a deal with three large universities to operate co-branded websites. These websites will bear both Amazon and the university’s name and will offer students textbooks, fan shirts, food, and etc.
Essentially this will be similar to what Amazon already does and what students probably already do. However given that textbooks are a necessity in classes and given how expensive they are, it seems that instead of students purchasing them directly from the school’s bookshops, they could get them off Amazon along with other essentials.
The universities participating include Purdue University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of California Davis. Course materials are eligible for one-day shipping regardless of whether the student has a Prime account, and there are also distribution centers on campus where students can collect their packages.
Students have so far reacted positively to Amazon’s new service. Evan Markley, a 20-year-old biomedical engineering student at Purdue was quoted as saying, “It was great, because the bookstores can run out of stock and get pretty hectic with everyone buying their books. This Amazon store is right on campus–where I am going to be during the day anyway.”