Re-engaging the Community for a Sustainable Future

Amidst the significant changes transforming the publishing industry, the NYU Bookstore faces the fundamental question of how to be financially sustainable in a new era of publishing. Through analyzing potential process and planning areas that could be improved, the Capstone team identified a common ingredient among today’s successful bookstores: the ability to capture the interest of their unique audiences. The team determined the NYU Bookstore needed to create a stronger bond with the NYU community and become a “place of engagement” in order to remain relevant. The Capstone team then assisted the Bookstore in launching a competition that challenged the public to design a new product to be sold in the store, generating community interest in Bookstore activities and providing a creative space that the community can enjoy and actively engage in.