Bookstores compete for Eli hearts and wallets

When you get to Yale, you'll find that both the venerable 113-year old Yale Co-op and the two-year old Yale Bookstore are vying for your textbook, toothpaste, and Bulldog attire purchases. In the last couple of years, the Co-op, the largest privately owned store in New Haven, has been struggling to stay competitive with the Bookstore, which is owned by the national chain Barnes &Noble.

The Co-op's lease on Broadway expired in June 1997, and the store was forced to move to a more distant location--on Chapel Street next to the Chapel Square Mall. The Bookstore moved into the Co-op's old Broadway locale, where it's surrounded by popular stores like Cutler's and Origins.

The Bookstore is also well-stocked. One side of the store has a coffee bar and is filled with aisles of novels and books, which can be read in comfortable chairs and couches. The other side contains Yale attire, dorm supplies, posters, and a gourmet market. The store's lower level sells textbooks, school supplies, stationary, and computer gear.

For the Co-op, last spring was a particularly tough time, as the store faced problems with textbook orders. It supplied books for fewer than 40 classes; the Bookstore supplied over 200. Many students and professors were also frustrated with the Co-op's tendency to misorder. "I can't believe the Co-op couldn't even fill its orders correctly," Antoine McNamara, MC '01, complained after the Co-op ordered the wrong Economics 116 textbook. Others criticized delays. "It's discouraging walking all the way to the Co-op and finding out your book won't be in until two weeks after classes have started," Deb Bauer, MC '01, added.

Still, the Co-op continues to put up a fight. In recent months, the store has gone through a series of gimmicks and transformations. It has expanded its inventory so that it now offers a full camera section, a decent amount of hardware for renovating dorm rooms, and a wide array of cheap instant noodles and chips to satisfy snack urges.

The Co-op has even ventured into fashion beyond the standard line of Yale clothing. These clothes are brand-name and fashionable, but high-priced. They cover everything from Calvin Klein lingerie to hand-woven, wool sweaters to tops straight out of any Urban Outfitter. By projecting the image of a general store, the Co-op hopes to become the one-stop shop to fill every student need.

Last December, the Co-op announced that Wallace Bookstores, a Kentucky-based national chain, will help revamp the struggling store. Wallace's released its innovative FlexSmart bookstore design only a few days before signing a 10-year contract with the Co-op; the chain hopes to use the store as a test site for its design. By continually changing the use of store's floor space, the system aims make the Co-op more responsive to student needs. During the beginning of a semester, for example, there will be more space for textbooks than after the rush period.

Wallace's will also bring a new café and marketplace to the Co-op to make the store more attractive to shoppers. Although these options are already available in the Bookstore, the Co-op's café has plans to host non-alcoholic Happy Hours, live bands, and other special events. The Co-op also plans on offer-ing online shopping inside the store via computer terminal stations.

Wallace's is already helping to keep the Co-op afloat and has paid off the store's $1 million debt. With the chain's support, the Co-op should also be able to afford to extend its hours and stay open until 10 p.m.--something the Bookstore already does.

Even with Wallace's help, however, it's hard to predict the future of the Co-op. Some worry that Wallace's capital and its professional identity might compromise the store's local flavor. There's also the fear that the national chain's make-over will disrupt the loyalty inherent in the store's long-standing relationship with its employees, many of whom have worked there for over 20 years.

The competition the Co-op faces from the Bookstore can only mean good news for Yalie customers. Be sure not to shrug off the Co-op--take advantage of its efforts to stay alive in the downtown area.

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