WESTCHESTER, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Follett Higher Education, North America’s largest campus retailer, today announced a new retail operations partnership with Indiana University (IU), effective May 24, 2022. Under the new partnership, Follett will proudly support and serve students and campus members on IU campuses across the state, including the flagship campus in Bloomington, Indiana.
“IU’s decision to partner with Follett was based on shared values and common goals that will directly support student success,” said Valerie Gill, associate vice president for business partnerships at IU. “Follett’s innovative approach to campus retail, ecommerce capabilities and affordable course materials will help support a successful higher education experience for IU students.”
Follett’s position as today’s leading collegiate retailer is a result of nearly 150 years of experience in the education industry. The company’s focus on innovating campus retail and driving classroom success has led to more than 1,100 campus store partnerships across the U.S and Canada. As the latest to join the Follett network, Indiana University will benefit from the company’s unique industry perspective and expertise, giving students, campus members, fans and alumni a revitalized and engaging campus retail experience.
For Pat Usher, senior vice president for sales and marketing at Follett, the new partnership with IU is especially significant. “As a proud Indiana University alumnus, I am honored to play a role in serving the institution that gave so much to me. I know our Follett team will work tirelessly to give IU students, faculty and campus community members a collegiate retail experience that exceeds expectations. We are very excited to be working with our new partners at IU, and we’re committed to keeping the incredible IU brand front and center in everything that we do together.”
Follett is making significant investment into the Bloomington campus retail location, capitalizing on the remarkable space at the Indiana Memorial Union. In order to deliver a world-class campus store, Follett will ensure the space is used to its fullest potential and truly reflects the spirit of Indiana University. Expanded merchandise offerings, upgraded fixtures and innovative open seating concepts will reenergize this campus hub as well as the IU brand.
“Follett is known for creating impressive retail spaces that exude campus pride, excitement, connection, achievement and nostalgia – and that’s precisely what Indiana University students and campus members will experience at their new flagship campus store,” says Follett’s Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Kolady. “It will truly be a must-see campus destination, where everyone within the IU community can feel connected to the school and to one another.”
The Follett experience will be extended to the IU online campus store, giving students and fans anytime/anywhere access to classroom materials and premier IU fan gear. Last year, Follett’s ecommerce platform was ranked # 57 on Digital Commerce 360’s Top 1000 report, which analyzes and ranks the leading online retailers in North America. Follett’s ranking directly reflects the company’s ongoing multi-million-dollar ecommerce investment that has allowed Follett to deliver a personalized shopping experience and an even greater selection of inventory to its online shoppers.
“No matter how you choose to shop with us, our number one priority is ensuring our customers and students have affordable access to everything needed for a successful year,” says Mike McEneany, vice president for sales and marketing at Follett. “Partnering with Follett means Indiana University students and faculty will have access to the industry’s most affordable and expansive collection of course material options.”
Follett’s course materials solutions continue to deliver impressive savings to students throughout its network: During the 2020-2021 academic year, students saved more than $113 million and $127 million through Follett’s text rental program and digital options, respectively. Follett’s text rental program was the first of its kind in the campus retail industry and can save students up to 80 percent compared to purchasing new materials.
As IU students and faculty prepare for the 2022-2023 academic year, they’ll also be introduced to a new, streamlined course materials process with Follett DiscoverTM – an online solution that enables hassle-free access to all course materials. Faculty can use the tool to research and adopt materials from more than 6,000 publisher partners, while students can easily view, shop for and access needed materials. More information on Follett Discover can be found at follett.com/discover.
Follett is thrilled to welcome Indiana University into its family of campus partnerships and looks forward to serving IU students, faculty, administration, fans and alumni for years to come.
Prior to the partnership with Follett, IU campus retail was operated by Barnes and Noble.
About Indiana University | www.indiana.edu
Founded in 1820, Indiana University Bloomington is the flagship campus of IU’s seven campuses and two regional centers statewide. Innovation, creativity, and academic freedom are hallmarks of our world-class contributions in research and the arts. (indiana.edu/about)
About Follett Higher Education | www.highered.follett.com
Follett Higher Education is a prominent and historic omni channel retailer and educational service provider supporting students, faculty, campus administration, alumni, and the surrounding community. Follett is currently ranked #57 on Digital Commerce 360’s 2021 Top 1000 list, with more than 1,100 physical and 1,750 eCommerce collegiate retail stores across North America. It is one of the world's largest sources of physical and digital academic content as well as emblematic collegiate merchandise from more than 6,000 publishers and merchandise partners to millions of students. Known for its inclusive access program, Follett ACCESS, Follett is changing equitable access to course materials on more than 300 campuses and growing every day. At Follett Higher Education, we enable faculty to teach, students to learn, institutions to run and fans to celebrate.
