The Dartmouth Bookstore lured students inside during this week's book rush with free coffee and cookies, and rocketing sales may mean that its market-share war with locally-owned Wheelock Books could intensify.
Dartmouth Bookstore manager John Cusick said store sales and traffic have both doubled since January, and as academic departments that previously dealt exclusively with Wheelock Books are beginning to release lists of assigned texts to both stores, Wheelock Books is in danger of losing its textbook monopoly.
"Wheelock is a great store," Cusick said. "The guy does a great job. What we want to do is offer students a choice."
Even with the increased competition, Wheelock Books has maintained the same sale volume as last spring, according to Wheelock Books owner Whit Spaulding.
The environmental science department is one of many offering textbook lists to both stores. Chair Andy Friedland said academic departments should feel a responsibility to provide course information to whatever booksellers desire it.
"We're not buying these books, the undergraduates are," Friedland said. "We need to do whatever possible to make sure they have the most convenient service and competitive price. It's not our money, it's theirs."
Wheelock Book owner Whit Spaulding said the most competitive price will always be at his store.
"I provide Dartmouth students a book list of scholarly titles most stores would never be able to fulfill, at prices below what any other store is willing to match," Spaulding said in an interview with The Dartmouth. "Only stores that are willing to dedicate themselves exclusively to the needs of the College can meet the demands of this market."
The Dartmouth Bookstore, operated by Barnes and Noble College Booksellers, has attempted to compete with Wheelock by establishing a more personal relationship with the College, managers said. Its new "Take Your Professor to Coffee" program, offered in conjunction with the Student Assembly, invites students and faculty members to share free coffee in the store's caf.
Assistant Manager Ted Fannons said more students have started to use the caf as a study space as well.
Even though students pack the store's caf tables, the textbooks they're studying from often have been purchased elsewhere. Holly Gobeil '06 and Emily Lin '05 said they purchased their textbooks at Wheelock Books, and brought them into the Dartmouth Bookstore to drink its Starbucks Coffee while they read.
Even the half dozen students waiting in line in the Dartmouth Bookstore's textbook section claimed to be customers of Wheelock Books; they came into the Dartmouth Bookstore only to buy school supplies such as notebooks and pens.
"It's just that Wheelock Books has all the readers and the books for all the classes," Lin said.
The crowd at Wheelock Books this week significantly trumped Dartmouth Bookstore's showing, with lines stretching the entire length of the store that necessitated a fire marshal to ensure the crowd didn't get out of control.
Wheelock Books customer Selena Davis '07 said she never even considered purchasing her textbooks at the Dartmouth Bookstore--but not because she necessarily preferred Wheelock.
"I didn't even know the Dartmouth Bookstore had textbooks," she said.
Danielle Sampson '07 said she didn't know the store sold textbooks either.
"I want to go check now," she said as she shopped. "Are we being ripped off?"
Academic departments exlusively sending textbook lists to Wheelock Books attributed their decision to the Wheelock's excellent, personalized service.
"We've had very, very good service with Wheelock Books," Anthropology department administrator Lynn MacGillivray said. "They're very innovative and they have great attention to detail. The Dartmouth Bookstore has been soliciting us, and I've said we'll begin to consider them again at some point, but right now, we're with Wheelock."
Dartmouth Bookstore assistant manager Ted Fannons said he wishes the departments would give his store the opportunity to establish similar relationships.
"Just give us the lists and give us a chance," he said.
