Concordia introduces a new business model for the Book Stop

Concordia is introducing a new business model for its bookstore known as Book Stop.

“Because of changes in the publishing industry, Book Stop has been struggling financially for some time now,” says Roger Coté, vice-president of Services.

Making sure that students and faculty continue to have access to the materials they need is a key priority. Early in 2020, after consulting with the relevant teams and bargaining units, Concordia began exploring potential new business models.

“After considering a number of options, we have decided that the best way forward is to partner with a third-party vendor specialized in bookstore operations,” adds Coté. “We expect this handover to take place at the end of May 2020.”

“We care about our employees and their wellbeing is a primary concern. We have had a series of discussions with Book Stop staff about the way forward and will be focusing on how best to support them during this transition,” says Carolina Willsher, associate vice-president of Human Resources.

Book Stop employees will be invited to explore options with Human Resources and their unions.

“Various options will be made available to employees. Our goal is to support them during this transition,” says Willsher.

For students and faculty, the change should be seamless, with locations and services remaining the same and a robust digital purchasing platform being added.

Negotiations with potential third-party vendors are underway and a decision will be announced in the coming weeks.