Improve your bottom line with ICBA Buying Programs
ICBA is the organization that originated group buying in our industry. Today we continue to deliver unsurpassed and innovative buying programs. There are a lot of “buying groups” in this industry. Independent College Bookstore Association is not one of them. ICBA is more than a buying group. ICBA is not a vendor, nor a trade association. ICBA is a retail cooperative. We are a nonprofit, mutual benefit corporation. All of the savings (discounts, rebates, concessions, etc.) we achieve go toward the success of our member bookstores. ICBA programs maintain and enhance direct buyer-vendor connections. Store buyers meet with, order, take receipt, pay and work directly with the vendor. Our goal is to improve this relationship, not to obstruct it.
ICBA continuously works to build new programs, provide program updates and recruit new vendors. Merchandise and service programs are designed with direct input from buyers as decision makers, through vendor performance evaluations, beta test groups and focus groups.
ICBA creates programs that are unsurpassed in:
- Consumer Electronics & Computer Products
- Apparel, Giftware and Raingear
- Backpacks & Bags
- School & Office Supplies
- Fine Art Supplies
- Books, Course Materials & Digital Delivery Resources
- Merchandise Bags
- Freight Management
- Operational Services & Resources
- Much More
Being part of ICBA is like having a staff of professional buyers from more than 200 institutional stores taking the time to identify trends and hot new products, evaluate and analyze vendors on prices, payment terms, freight minimums, imprint minimums, fulfillment, customer service, and quality. | Eighty-eight percent of ICBA Stores state the ICBA Buying Program is “Very Valuable” or “Valuable”, with 51% rating the program as “Very Valuable”.
On average, ICBA stores saved $44,963 in 2008. That’s an average 13.7% reduction in cost of goods by using ICBA programs.
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