Barnes & Noble College Booksellers has expanded its multi-channel textbook rental program to hundreds of colleges and universities. B&N piloted its textbook rental program in January and a survey found that more than 90% of students said they would rent books from their campus bookstore again. Students can rent textbooks in their campus bookstore’s physical or online store. Thousands of students have already rented textbooks through the program, which is offered through campus bookstores managed by B&N. The company hopes to extend its reach to millions of higher education students by the end of the 2010 back-to-school season.
The rental program offers savings of more than 50% over the cost of purchasing new, printed textbooks. There are no shipping costs if students order online, and students may return rented textbooks to the campus bookstore or via mail using free return shipping. B&N accepts financial aid and campus debit cards, in addition to cash and credit cards.
