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JS Group will develop specific online book stores for universities as it closes nine campus shops in a bid to focus on its Aspire schemes and become a student engagement company.
The firm, which can trace its roots back to 1751 when John Smith started his bookselling career at the University of Glasgow, says it is changing its business model.
JS Group launched a new support model for its smartcard bursary scheme Aspire Engage and learning support system Aspire Connect two years ago, centring on dedicated “engagement partners” on campus, working with faculty, student services, the library and other stakeholders at their universities and supported by student ambassadors with specific online student stores to provide students with access to a vast array of learning resources.
In March, JS Group reported growth in its Aspire revenue as the academic bookselling group reaffirmed the “transitioning and re-positioning of the business.”
“The new model has gone down well with our host universities and we have decided to roll the model out next academic year at the majority of universities with an Aspire Engage scheme. For some of our host universities this means that we will no longer have a physical on campus store,” said JS Group.
At the end of May, JS Group will close its John Smith’s campus bookshops at the universities of Anglia Ruskin, Chester, Greenwich and West London, as the universities move to the new Aspire support model.
For Birmingham, Southampton, Stirling, Strathclyde and Sussex universities, JS Group is rolling out a new model, and will close its campus shops on those sites by the end of May.
"With these changes and the ongoing trend of students purchasing online, we have also taken the opportunity to review the service provision at our non-Aspire universities (Birmingham, Southampton, Stirling, Strathclyde and Sussex). We are currently working with each of these universities to replace the on campus bookshop with a dedicated online store and a new flexible model of support. We will be providing each of these Universities with a 'University Partner' whose role will be working with the students as well as maintaining links with faculty, the library and other stakeholders to provide a tailored service for the institution," said JS Group.
Commenting on the changes, c.e.o. and chairman Peter Gray said “We have been very pleased with the reception our new engagement model has received and we look forward to introducing it to more of our host universities. At the same time, it is sad that we will be closing a number of our stores and I want to acknowledge the immense contribution that our incredibly experienced and dedicated staff in these stores have made to the business. Some staff from the shops that are closing will be taking up new roles in the business, but a number of colleagues will be leaving us when the shops close and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for their valued contributions to JS Group and wish them well in the next ventures.”
JS Group will retain its bookshops at Glasgow University and Queen Mary University of London.