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"The CRA allows us to retain our independence as a college bookstore, but at the same time play in the big market, to pull together and get good discounts. It really helps us stay profitable.”
- Estella McCollum, University of Kansas
Partner with the Best of the Best
The 50-plus member stores of the CRA conduct almost a billion dollars each year in resale business and routinely purchase goods and services from thousands of suppliers. Only a few are invited to become CRA strategic partners.
The CRA’s Partnering Philosophy
Every partner of the CRA is a leader in its field, philosophically aligned with the CRA and committed to long-term continuous improvements. These leading suppliers agree to work with CRA members to help them deliver superior customer value and improve their bottom line through best-in-class supply channel efficiencies and performance – at the industry’s best terms and conditions.
Channel innovations such as the digital delivery of course materials and process refinements like EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) help reduce total costs, ensure that products are in stock when needed, and streamline store operations.
Current Partner Programs
CRA-Follett Millennium Partnership
Access used book supply on favorable terms with a company committed to leveraging its purchasing power to your store’s advantage in other pacesetting programs such as CafeScribe’s new digital delivery
The CRA led the first systematic effort to combine the purchasing power of many large independent college stores to develop a “best-in-class” prime source for used textbooks. In addition to the industry’s best published terms and conditions for used textbooks, Follett offers its Millennium Partnership, a commitment to a comprehensive business relationship designed to leverage its multibillion-dollar business base in ways that directly benefit Millennium Partners. All core members of the CRA participate.
Program Highlights
- Excellent commissions
- Low returns rebates
- A commitment to used book supply
- Advertising co-op
- Full systems integration with VisualRATEX™
- Free freight on major shipments
- Penalty-free, no-limit returns
- A growing array of powerful supplemental programs including loss prevention, shoppers program, fixturing, eFollett services, and now digital delivery through CaféScribe
CRA-Ingram General Book Prime-Source Partnership
Save time and money with a single, superior source
Ingram is the largest general book distributor in the world, carrying over a million titles in stock efficiently accessible through its “best in class” delivery systems to stores and customers. The CRA-Ingram Prime-Source program offers CRA member stores a better business model by consolidating small orders on thousands of titles into a single source. The program also offers a highly competitive discount along with one of the industry’s best fill rates.
Program Highlights
- Full systems integration with VisualRATEX™
- Substantial discounts, including a 42% discount on regular discount title orders placed via X.12 EDI (college store systems and Pubnet)
- Free freight on eligible orders
- Stickering is available at just pennies per book
CRA-NACSCORP Book PrimeSource Partnership
Streamline your general book, textbook and bargain book, business through the power of consolidation with the industry’s most successful distributors
NACSCORP offers CRA members a specialized selection of general books commonly used as course materials, as well as bargain books and print-on-demand titles. Order consolidation and high levels of systems integration make ordering, receiving, payment, and return processes more cost effective and can save stores up to 5%.
Program Highlights
- Full systems integration with VisualRATEX™
- The largest single-source new book assortment in the world
- More than 15,000 bargain book titles
- 500,000+ print-on-demand titles
- 40% savings on regular discount title orders placed via X.12 EDI (college store systems, web, and Pubnet)
- Free ground freight for eligible orders
- Store-friendly return policy
CRA-PartnerShip Freight Program
Simplify shipping and save up to 30%
The PartnerShip Select Services program provides a “freight headquarters” for participating stores. PartnerShip works with a growing roster of national carriers with a reputation for quality and customer service to provide the industry’s best ‘freight management’ solutions, dynamically allocating business to access best pricing. The combination of discounts and services can save CRA members up to 30% over traditional freight agreements.
Program Highlights
- The most cost-effective carrier is identified for every inbound and outbound shipment
- In-house audit of freight bills saves staff hours and prevents costly invoice mistakes
- Consolidated freight billing reduced administrative hours
- Free program can be your exclusive or auxiliary shipping strategy
CRA-CourseSmart Partnership
Access the industry’s largest digital textbook inventory
CourseSmart offers digital versions of nearly 6,000 textbooks from 12 different publishers, representing over one-third of all titles in demand in North America. Customers of participating CRA member stores can download eTextbooks to a laptop or access content online from any computer connected to the Internet.
Program Highlights
- Full systems integration with VisualRATEX™
- The industry’ largest and most widely recognized electronic textbook inventory
- Professional support from RBS and a mature peer group to launch digital delivery processes
CRA-CaféScribe Partnership
Offer digital course materials with social networking benefits
CaféScribe is the industry’s leading eBook marketplace with social networking capability. CaféScribe enables students using electronic course materials to take and share notes, highlight, cross-reference, sort text, and connect with others in virtual study groups who are using the same eBook. CaféScribe technology also enables the college store to independently digitize and sell its own custom materials.
Program Highlights
- Full systems integration with VisualRATEX™
- The industry’s highest margins on eBooks
- Customer ownership and ongoing access to purchased eBooks
- Social networking applications
- Store managed custom publishing
- No upload fees for CRA full members
- Professional support from RBS and a mature peer group to launch digital delivery processes
See Members-Only section for program details