Stanford Bookstore

Name

Stanford Bookstore

Legal name

Stanford Bookstore

Website

https://stanfordbookstore.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Campus Retail and University Bookstore

NAICS

Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592), Used Merchandise Retailers (4595)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)

akta.pro primary industry

Textbooks & Academic Books Retail (CRALAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Campus Bookstore-Adjacent Retail (Snacks, Beverages, Essentials) (EDALADAE), General Bookstores (New Books) (CRALAAAA)

Keywords

• University bookstore
• Textbook retail
• Course materials
• Campus merchandise
• Branded apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

Stanford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Merchandise Sales: Direct retail sales of textbooks, course materials, clothing, accessories, electronics, dorm supplies, gifts, and general merchandise through physical storefront and online e-commerce platform. One-time transaction model for merchandise purchases.
2. Textbook Rentals: Rental program for textbooks offering savings up to 80% compared to purchase price. Customers rent for the academic term and return or purchase at end.
3. Textbook Buyback: Program allowing students to sell back textbooks for cash or store credit.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Stanford Bookstore is the official campus bookstore for Stanford University, operated by Follett Higher Education. It sells textbooks and course materials (new, used, and rental), Stanford-branded apparel and accessories, electronics, school supplies, dorm and home essentials, gifts and collectibles, graduation regalia, alumni merchandise, and convenience items. The store operates both a physical retail location at White Plaza on the Stanford campus and a comprehensive e-commerce website, with proceeds supporting the university's academic mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Textbooks & Course Materials New, used, and rental textbooks plus course materials for Stanford University students, with Price Match Guarantee, automatic 7% discount on qualifying orders, and free in-store pickup.
• Clothing & Accessories Stanford-branded and general apparel for men, women, and kids, plus accessories, footwear, watches, jewelry, glasses, hats, backpacks, and rain gear.
• Gifts & Collectibles Stanford-themed and general gift items including drinkware, plush toys, home décor, games, sports equipment, tailgate gear, school accessories, auto accessories, blankets, office and travel goods, pet supplies, golf items, university media, and pennants and flags.
• Specialty Shops Curated sections tailored to specific Stanford schools and programs, including lululemon clothing and accessories, Stanford Sustainable Products, Stanford Medicine, School of Law, Graduate School of Business, School of Engineering, and Stanford DOERR School of Sustainability, plus sports gear shops.
• Electronics Consumer electronics including Apple and Microsoft computers and tablets, software, computer accessories, cell phones, TV and video equipment, audio, digital cameras, drives and storage, printers, health and fitness trackers, smart home devices, and drones, supported by the Cardinal Technology Center.
• School Supplies Academic supplies including desk accessories, testing materials, notebooks, planners, art materials, engineering and drafting supplies, and specialty supplies for fields like culinary, medical, and dental.
• Dorm & Home Living essentials for students including bath products, bedding and sheets, closet organization, home furnishings, kitchenware, laundry supplies, room organization, lamps, wall décor, and appliances.
• Health, Wellness & Beauty Personal care products including bath and body, hair care, medicine and first aid, oral care, vitamins and supplements, wellness items, makeup, fitness monitors, and athletic accessories.
• Books, Music & Games Entertainment products including general reading books, vinyl records, and video games.
• Graduation Graduation-related products including diploma frames, regalia such as stoles, graduation clothing, and alumni merchandise.
• Alumni Products for Stanford alumni including clothing, accessories, gifts, specialty shop items, and graduation merchandise.
• Convenience Quick-purchase items including beverages, chocolate, candy, snacks, nutrition products, bakery goods, grocery, frozen foods, and refrigerated items.
• Cardinal Technology Center Technology service center within the electronics section offering technical support and related products for Stanford students and community members.
• Online Adoptions Faculty textbook adoption system allowing Stanford professors to submit and manage course material requirements for their classes, ensuring correct editions and formats are stocked for students.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Follett Higher EducationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStanford Bookstore is operated by Follett Higher Education, one of the largest university bookstore operators in the United States. Follett provides the retail platform, inventory management, and e-commerce technology for the Stanford Bookstore.

Scale indicators1 record

Broad incumbents

• Barnes & Noble College: The largest U.S. operator of campus bookstores, running textbook, apparel, and merchandise retail at hundreds of universities. Comparable as a broad incumbent that competes with Follett for university retail contracts and serves the same campus retail category at scale.

Direct peers

• UCLA Store: Official UCLA campus store offering textbooks, branded apparel, gifts, electronics, and convenience items through a physical location and e-commerce platform. Directly comparable as a flagship public-university bookstore with similar product breadth and student/alumni/parent customer mix.
• USC Bookstore: University of Southern California campus store selling textbooks, USC-branded apparel, gifts, and tech products. Directly comparable as a premium private-university bookstore with strong branded merchandise component.
• Princeton University Store: Princeton's campus store operated by Barnes & Noble College, selling textbooks, Princeton-branded apparel, and gifts. Comparable as a high-prestige Ivy League campus bookstore with similar product mix and customer base.
• Harvard Coop (The Harvard Coop): Member-owned retailer serving Harvard students, faculty, and alumni with textbooks, branded apparel, gifts, and general merchandise. Directly comparable as a prestigious private-university retail operation with strong brand-license moat and similar customer segmentation.
• UC Berkeley Bookstore (Cal Student Store): Official UC Berkeley campus store offering textbooks, Cal-branded merchandise, electronics, and convenience items. Comparable as a large public-university bookstore with similar omnichannel structure and Follett-style operating model.
• Yale Bookstore: Yale's campus bookstore operated by Barnes & Noble College, offering textbooks, Yale-branded merchandise, and gifts. Comparable as a high-prestige Ivy League campus store with similar customer mix and product categories.
• University of Chicago Bookstore: University of Chicago's campus bookstore operated by Barnes & Noble College, offering textbooks, branded apparel, and general merchandise. Comparable as an elite private-university bookstore with similar segmentation and product breadth.
• MIT Press Bookstore: MIT's campus bookstore offering textbooks, technical books, MIT-branded merchandise, and gifts. Comparable as a STEM-focused elite private-university bookstore with strong affinity-driven merchandise sales.

Others

• Chegg: Online textbook rental and academic services platform that competes directly with Stanford Bookstore's textbook rental program and new/used textbook pricing. Comparable as an alternative-channel disruptor in the textbook sub-category specifically, even though it does not operate physical retail.

Market position

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stanford-bookstore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stanford Bookstore