The HPU Bookstore recently compared the prices of their spring 2004 books to two Internet booksellers: Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

Out of 848 titles, Amazon.com had 698 or 82 percent, of which 213 or 31 percent were priced higher than HPU, 302 or 43 percent were priced less than HPU, and 183 or 26 percent were priced the same.

Amazon.com’s average price for all titles was $47.56, not including shipping. The HPU Bookstore’s average price for these titles was $47.66. Before shipping, students purchasing their books from Amazon.com would have saved .2 percent.

BarnesandNoble.com had 664 titles or 78 percent of HPU Bookstore titles listed in new condition, of which 159 or 24 percent were priced higher than HPU, 290 or 44 percent were priced lower, and 215 or 32 percent were priced the same.

Before shipping, BarnesandNoble.com’s average price for these titles was $47.50. The HPU Bookstore average price for these titles was $46.44, a savings, before shipping, of 2.3 percent.
BarnesandNoble.com had 202 or 24 percent of the titles listed in used condition, of which 49, or 24 percent, were priced higher than HPU, 103, or 51 percent, were priced lower than, and 50, or 25 percent, were priced the same. Their average price for these titles was $40.12. HPU’s average price for these titles was $40.27, or .4 percent higher before shipping.

Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com both charge $3 for each shipment, plus 99 cents for each additional title ordered. They are currently offering free shipping on orders of $25 or more for eligible products. Shipping can take anywhere from three days to two weeks.

Students can also receive substantial savings by utilizing the bonus card program. For every $10 spent on eligible products (all textbooks and regular-priced logo items) bookstore customers receive a stamp on their bonus card. With 20 stamps, they get $10 off their next purchase. “In the past school year,” according to Bookstore Manager Shellee Heen, “our customers saved more than $80,000 with our bonus card program.”