Has COVID-19 Impacted your Course Materials Marketshare?

Over the past 10 years, digital course materials have been steadily increasing. This is from programs like Inclusive Access (IA), K-12 students using more digital content, and pressure from the online market. When college stores couple that with the impact of COVID-19, it made for a very challenging time for college bookstores.

When Slingshot partners with a new institution we often see their traditional market share around 25%. We define a traditional college bookstore as one where students either shop in the store and wait in line to check out with their materials, or order their books online and come to the store to pick them up.

We now live in a subscription economy. From music, to clothes, to food, it is the way many of us shop. However, very few college bookstores have evolved to meet the needs of today’s consumers. 

At Slingshot, we do things differently. Our course material programs provide a “subscription service” for course materials. Our mission is to ensure every single student receives every single course material, by the first day of class, at an affordable price. 

Slingshot Choice

Slingshot Choice is a lot like a Stitch Fix box. Based on your preferences, we will tailor custom items at a price unique to you. In Slingshot Choice, students select their format preferences (digital, rental, buy used, buy new) and we ship their individualized materials to them and charge a price based on their format preference.

Slingshot Premium

Think of Slingshot Premium like Netflix. For one flat, predictable fee you can have everything you need. Slingshot Premium is a mixture of digital and physical materials based on what is most affordable. Regardless of the classes a student takes, each student is charged the same flat per-credit-hour rate.

Interested in learning more about the course material programs offered at Slingshot and how we can help you increase your market share? Contact sales@slingshotedu.com.