CampusBooks.com is a free online textbook price comparison shopping service.[1] The website sources information from multiple online booksellers and provides students with a selection of offers for buying, renting, and selling textbooks online.[2]
Type of site | Comparison shopping website |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1998 |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Founder(s) | Alex Neal |
| Industry | Internet, E-commerce, Comparison Shopping |
| Products | Textbooks, used textbooks |
| Services | Online shopping |
| URL | www |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Launched | 1998 |
| Current status | Active |
| Written in | PHP |
History
editCampusBooks.com was founded by Alex Neal in 1998 during the height of the dot com boom.[1] The company started as an online textbook reseller.[3] In 2000, it changed its business model and became a textbook comparison shopping site. CampusBooks served over 1.5 million book price comparisons to students in 2007. In 2011, the website was viewed by over 3 million students.[4]
In 2015, CampusBooks released Buy vs. Rent price prediction tool, which provided students with recommendations on whether to buy or rent a book based on the current price and future estimated value.[5]
In 2023, the website contained information on more than 8 million new and used textbooks from thousands of sellers and multiple bookstores in 3 countries.[6]
Overview
editCampusBooks obtains textbook pricing data from multiple sources and makes it searchable by ISBN, author, title.[7] Once a search is performed, CampusBooks shows the list of textbooks according to the search parameters.[7]
CampusBooks displays the buying, renting, and selling price information from third-party vendors as is, without modifying it.[8][9] Upon selecting offers, customers are redirected to third-party websites and complete the orders there. CampusBooks is not involved in the order processing and completion processes.[9]
CampusBooks provides a free Buy vs. Rent price prediction tool.[5][10] The tool employs a proprietary algorithm, which takes into account the depreciation of the book in question and estimates its buyback value in 6 months.[5] Based on the estimation, the website displays its recommendation for either buying or renting the book.[11]
Business model
editCampusBooks.com is an Amazon associate and takes part in affiliate programs of other bookstores, from which it receives commissions for qualifying purchases.[1] In addition, the website partners with online booksellers and buyback vendors, and displays their offers based on PPC revenue model.[12][13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Gregory Bresiger,"Here's the reason why your college textbooks are so expensive". nypost.com. September 15, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ Abigail Johnson Hess,"4 tricks for saving money on college textbooks". cnbc.com. August 20, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ Rimma Kats,"CampusBooks mobile app helps students price compare". retaildive.com. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ Steve Rosen,"College textbook prices going down". chicagotribune.com. August 2, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ a b c Chris Taylor,"Moneysaving 101: Four ways to cut college textbook costs". reuters.com. January 25, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ "College Textbook Prices Decreased For The First Time In Years Reports CampusBooks". businessinsider.com. August 2, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Denny Carter,"eTextbooks are as polarizing as ever in higher ed". ecampusnews.com. August 8, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ "One college expense declines – the cost of course materials, survey shows". cleveland.com. July 22, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Jennifer Bragg,"Textbooks on a budget". money.cnn.com. August 10, 2010. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ Leila Meyer,"Students Shun New Textbooks to Reduce Education Expenses". campustechnology.com. August 24, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ Teresa Mears,"10 Tips to Help You Turn the Page on High Textbook Costs". money.usnews.com. August 1, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ Jennifer Bates,"Textbooks 101: A Guide for Undergrads". bu.edu. September 6, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ "The Textbook Challenge: How students find affordable books for classes". dailycampus.com. January 25, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2023.