Once a student employee of the BYU Bookstore, Roger Reynolds now directs the legions of full- and part-time staff that operate one of the largest collegiate bookstores.
By Charlene Renberg Winters, ’73
At the BYU Bookstore every sale is a blue sale.
AS a BYU student, Roger L. Reynolds, ’73, worked at the BYU Bookstore stocking textbooks and helping students during the back-to-school rush. In 1999, after a 25-year career in the bookstore industry, he returned to the Bookstore as its director.
Reynolds considers the BYU Bookstore one of the “crown jewels” in the college bookstore industry. “It is probably the largest collegiate bookstore under one roof, and it has nearly a 100-year history,” says Reynolds. Since the store became a part of the Wilkinson Student Center more than 30 years ago, the Bookstore has tripled in size. “You can get just about anything you want at the Bookstore, including Church books, Church distribution products, everyday wear, candy, gifts, BYU apparel, and even temple clothing. It also has become the place to find modest women’s wear, such as longer-length shorts for summer and formal dresses for young women.”
Reynolds plans continued growth for the Bookstore, which employs more than 600 students. During the 2002 football and Christmas seasons, the Bookstore opened CougarWear in Orem’s University Mall to sell BYU clothing for a trial period. “It was gratifying to hear the overwhelming positive comments from customers as they discovered the store,” he says. “We’re evaluating our data to see if this could be a viable option.”
Although the Bookstore exists primarily to serve the on-campus community, “our secondary market,” says Reynolds, “is alumni and friends of BYU. Those audiences are very important to us and are the reasons we created byubookstore.com.”
Through the Web site, alumni can purchase most items available in the physical store. And during the semi-annual 20 percent-off sales, alumni can receive the discount for their purchases on the Internet as well as in the store.
The BYU Bookstore is a favorite stop for alumni who visit Provo, says Reynolds. “It is common for families to visit the store any day of the summer,” he says. “And while we certainly have peaks with such events as Education Week, the Church Educational System conferences, and Women’s Conference, I have found that if we remove those, we still see family after family visiting the Bookstore as a destination.”
INFO: Bookstore information is available by e-mail at bookstore@byu.edu or by phone at 378-5637 (local), 1-800-253-2578 (merchandise), or 1-800-417-8345 (books). Purchases can be made online at byubookstore.com.
SHOPPING AT BYU
Shopping at BYU
byu.edu, click on “Shop@BYU”
Alumni Association
1-800-437-4663
Through the Alumni Shopping Village, shop for anything from books to clothing and contribute to BYU at the same time. Insurance is also available through the Alumni Association.
BYU Bookstore
Merchandise: 1-800-253-2578
Books: 1-800-417-8345
The BYU Bookstore sells academic supplies, BYU clothing and gifts, LDS books and merchandise, music, and more.
BYU Studies
801-422-6691
BYU Studies is a quarterly scholarly journal exploring LDS topics. The BYU Studies office also sells books.
Creative Works
1-800-962-8061
Creative Works sells videos, music, software, and books created at BYU.
FARMS
1-800-327-6715
The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) publishes books, reports, journals, and a newsletter.
Speeches
801-378-4711
Speeches offers more than 1,200 BYU devotional addresses, yearly collections of addresses, and the Classic Speeches book.
