Barnes & Noble to implement digital ‘concierge service’ at college

Students at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte will soon have a one-stop e-commerce platform for academic materials.

Barnes & Noble College, a subsidiary of Barnes & Noble Education Inc., will launch a digital portal called First Day Complete at University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC-Charlotte) I time for the fall 2023 academic semester.

The digital “concierge service” (as Barnes & Noble Education calls it) will deliver all course materials on or before the first day of class. This will include all required textbooks, lab manuals, access codes, digital materials and electronic books in a bundle, which Barnes & Noble estimates will produce average student savings of between 35-50%.

With First Day Complete, instead of purchasing course materials individually, the cost will be included in each student’s account when tuition is charged. In July 2023, students will receive an email from the UNC Charlotte bookstore prompting them to select their preferred delivery method for their fall semester materials.

The bookstore will prepare materials for each student and notify them when materials are available for in-store pickup or have shipped. Digital materials will be automatically delivered to students.

“We are excited about our partnership with UNC Charlotte as we implement First Day Complete to enhance student outcomes,” said Jonathan Shar, president, Barnes & Noble College. “First Day Complete ensures students are prepared to begin learning on day one, driving greater student success while also offering a more affordable and convenient way for students to obtain their course materials. We support UNC Charlotte’s mission of providing the highest quality education, and through this partnership, we will provide a wide range of academic solutions and a seamless retail experience to help to drive success for UNC Charlotte students in the classroom and beyond. We look forward to working with UNC Charlotte and our other partner schools to continue delivering solutions that empower academic success for all students.”

"The First Day Complete program provides us the ability to deliver course materials to students at a more affordable rate while driving student success by ensuring students have their coursework (both physical and digital formats) in their hands on the first day of class,” said Doug Lape, associate vice chancellor for business services, UNC-Charlotte.

Barnes & Noble College, a Barnes & Noble Education company, currently operates more than 770 campus stores nationwide.

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