The Future is Bright for University of Iowa Campus Retail as New Partnership with Follett Begins this Spring
Collegiate retailer to revitalize campus store experience for University of Iowa community
WESTCHESTER, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Follett Corporation, the largest campus retailer in North America, announced today a new partnership with the University of Iowa (UI), effective April 22, 2021. With more than 140 years in the industry, and currently serving six million students on more than 1,100 campuses, Follett is the natural choice to take UI campus retail to the next level.
“Follett has demonstrated industry expertise, commitment to customer service, and commitment to current bookstore staff. We are extremely pleased to begin this new, vibrant partnership with the industry leader in campus stores – Follett Higher Education Group, Inc.,” said Bill Nelson, University of Iowa associate dean and executive director of the Iowa Memorial Union.
Iowa students, faculty, staff and community members will feel the renewed energy and excitement in the air as they experience Follett’s innovative approach to campus retail later this spring. As part of the acclaimed Follett network, the new campus store at UI will be able to deliver the latest products and services to the UI community while maintaining a focus on making learning materials more accessible and affordable.
“The University of Iowa is an icon in the Midwest and the Big Ten, and we are thrilled to have been selected as their business partner,” says Mike McEneany, vice president of sales and marketing at Follett. “Our team is focused on delivering a world-class collegiate retail experience that not only exudes campus pride, but also supports students throughout every step of their academic journeys.”
Students at UI will benefit from several innovative Follett programs that are making it easier to acquire low-cost course materials. Follett pioneered the text rental program, which can save students up to 80 percent compared to purchasing new textbooks. During the 2020-2021 academic year, students across Follett’s network saved more than $113 million with text rental. As a leader in the digital transformation, Follett saved students another $127 million through digital materials, like eBooks and digital courseware.
In addition, Follett delivers more course material options from 6,000 publisher partners through its groundbreaking Follett DiscoverTM platform – a suite of online tools aimed at supporting students and faculty through a seamless course materials journey.
Roe McFarlane, president of Follett Higher Education, says investment in academic tools like Follett Discover has been key to the company’s mission of course materials access and affordability.
“Follett always has an eye on the future of education, and that’s why we’ve invested $65 million in academic tools that are redefining the way course materials are researched, purchased, accessed and used. The University of Iowa will be joining hundreds of Follett campuses that are using our solutions to break cost barriers, provide more options for faculty, and make learning more accessible for every student.”
The retail experience at UI will naturally be extended onto Follett’s renowned ecommerce platform, currently ranked #82 on the Internet Retailer 500 and supporting 1,800 unique campus websites. With the company’s $50 million, multiple-year ecommerce investment well underway, UI will reap the benefits of an upgraded online retail experience supported by unrivaled technology.
Whether shopping in-store or online, the campus community at UI will also find Follett brings with them an impressive assortment of general merchandise. From on-trend apparel and gifts to imprinted course supplies and game day necessities, Follett’s expansive inventory will cultivate a hub for school spirit and Hawkeye pride. In addition, UI campus retail will continue to offer best-in-class computer products and services, including those from Apple.
With the official transition to Follett set to begin later this month, the Follett team is gearing up to welcome new UI team members and integrate themselves within the campus community.
“We could not be more excited – and honored – to represent and serve the University of Iowa,” says Jennifer Hatton, Follett’s executive vice president for retail operations and course material solutions. “When it comes to driving student success and celebrating campus pride, no one does it better than Follett. We can’t wait to deliver an unforgettable experience for the University of Iowa community.”
For more details on all the exciting new products and services Follett will e bringing to the University of Iowa, visit the University of Iowa’s new ecommerce site, www.hawkshop.com, on April 22, 2021.
Follett is proud to welcome the University of Iowa into its family of campus stores and looks forward to serving the on-campus community as well as fans and alumni across the country.
About University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is one of America’s premier public research universities. A member of the Association of American Universities since 1909 and the Big Ten Conference since 1899, the University of Iowa is home to one of the most acclaimed academic medical centers in the country, as well as globally recognized leadership in the study and craft of writing. Iowa is known for excellence in both the arts and sciences, offering world-class undergraduate, graduate, and professional academic programs in a wide variety of fields.
About Follett Higher Education Group | www.highered.follett.com
FHEG is a prominent and historic omnichannel retailer and educational service provider that operates over 1,100 campus store locations and 1,250 ecommerce campus store websites. Currently ranked #82 on the Internet Retailer 500, Follett provides emblematic and non-emblematic general merchandise and course materials within the higher education marketplace.
FHEG serves both two-year and four-year colleges through long-term contracts with approximately 800 campus partners. FHEG manages the institution’s online and in-store channels to assort and sell a wide array of merchandise and services that support students, faculty, campus administration, alumni, and the surrounding community. We enable faculty to teach, students to learn, institutions to run and fans to celebrate.
About Follett Corporation | www.follett.com
Follett Corporation is the world’s largest single source of educational materials, digital content, ecommerce, and multi-media for libraries, schools and institutions. Headquartered in Westchester, Illinois, Follett provides education technology, services and physical and digital content to millions of students at 70,000 schools, and more than 2,700 physical locations and campus eCommerce platforms in North America. Through Baker & Taylor, Follett’s reach also extends to the public library markets.
Contacts
Follett Higher Education
Samantha Swick, Director of Marketing and Communications
708.884.1387
sswick@follett.com