The University of Notre Dame will have a new partner managing its bookstore properties as Barnes & Noble College (BNC), a Barnes & Noble Education company, takes over course materials, retail and online operations, effective July 1, 2022.
The new partnership will provide Notre Dame faculty and academic leadership access to BNC’s Adoption and Insights Portal, which allows them to easily research and choose affordable course materials.
As part of the new management, BNC will offer an enhanced in-person and online shopping experience due in part to its recent joint venture with online and offline licensed sports merchandise leaders Fanatics and Lids.
“We are thrilled to partner with industry leaders Barnes & Noble College, Fanatics and Lids to elevate the course materials process for faculty and students and create the premier collegiate in-store and online retail experience,” said Micki Kidder, vice president for University Enterprises and Events for Notre Dame.
BNC operates more than 770 campus bookstores and school-branded e-commerce sites, serving more than 6 million college students and faculty nationwide.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Notre Dame to bring a best-in-class courseware and retail experience to students, faculty, alumni, fans and friends of the University,” said Michael P. Huseby, chief executive officer and chairman of Barnes & Noble Education. “This partnership with Notre Dame is the result of a true team effort with our strategic partners Fanatics and Lids. We look forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship with the Fighting Irish.”
“We are excited to further our relationship with the University of Notre Dame to now reimagine their digital and physical college store experience as part of our ongoing partnership with Barnes & Noble College and Lids to celebrate the school’s past, present and future,” said Michael Rubin, founder and executive chairman of Fanatics.
“As an Indiana-based company, Lids looks forward to supporting the Notre Dame team as we leverage our valuable partnership with Barnes & Noble College and Fanatics,” said Tom Ripley, chairman and chief executive officer of Lids. “Our vast merchandising expertise as the leading brick-and-mortar retailer of sports licensed apparel and headwear in North America, coupled with our relentless investment in elevating the fan experience, will deliver progressive new concepts to the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore, while honoring all that makes the University such a special and sacred place.”
The University has five bookstore retail properties, including the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore on campus, Hammes Bookstore and Café at Eddy Street, Leep Varsity Shop in Purcell Pavilion, Dellelce Irish Hockey Shop in the Compton Family Ice Arena, and the Notre Dame Outlet Store at 1610 N. Ironwood Drive in South Bend. Notre Dame also has a catalog/online order fulfillment center. BNC will replace Follett, which has managed the University’s course materials, retail and online bookstore operations since 1997.
Originally published by at news.nd.edu on June 28, 2021.