As concerns rise over the inequity between textbook prices at American colleges and the same textbooks overseas, bookstore managers in Madison say their sales have not been affected by any underground, overseas book trade.
Organizations such as the National Association of College Stores have recently expressed concerns about textbook publishers trying to prevent American bookstores and students from buying and using foreign textbooks.
Nonetheless, neither University Bookstore nor Underground Textbook Exchange has lost sales to these international markets, their managers said.
“Over the years, no matter what the price or stock you have are, 10 to 15 percent of students will try to find the cheapest book possible,” Underground Textbook Exchange Manager Troy Gerkey said.
While many students buy these books online, others are deterred from buying textbooks internationally because of the long wait for shipping.
“It’s the same people already trying to find a bargain who are willing to take the trouble to find out what books they need three to four weeks ahead of time. You’d have to start shopping during finals week for the books you need in January,” Gerkey said. “If you decided to pay for air shipping, it cancels out the money you save by buying the book from another country.”
Steve Schibel, textbook manager at University Bookstore, said the used book program is also keeping college bookstore sales steady.
“I think we have really good used programs both here and at Underground. We usually match international prices, especially when you take into account the shipping cost and time,” Schibel said.
NACS spokesperson Laura Nakoneczny, however, feels that international sales are not as important as the fairness in prices for students, noting that college bookstores are a service, not a hindrance, for students.
“Nobody has seen sales drop off enough to be substantially upset. The other thing is that the bookstores are not there to make a profit on textbooks,” Nakoneczny said. “They make their money elsewhere, like on a sweatshirt or a snack.”
Pointing out that average profit margins on textbooks are only 22 percent while normal retail margins are from 30 to 40 percent, Nakoneczny nonetheless feels these prices differences need to be addressed.
“Why should American students pay more when international students are paying a lot less for the same textbooks?” Nakoneczny said. “America’s students are being gouged by this pricing practice.”
While recognizing the apparent discrepancy, Schibel points out that international price differences are both common and necessary.
“Lots of things are cheaper in India than they are here. They have a lower standard of living,” Schibel said. “What the textbook publishers need to do is keep the books in their markets.”
Nakoneczny said the NACS wants to work with the textbook industry to deal with this problem, saying that “the ball is in their court now, we’re waiting to hear back from them.”
