Ray Britton, President, Comet School Supplies

Upon arriving in Dallas for CAMEX 2014, I excitedly went to visit Comet School Supplies, oneof ICBA’s long standing Vendor Partners. Comet’s facility is located in Palestine, TX, about 110 miles southeast of Dallas. While there I met with Ray Britton, President, and Don Howard, Vice President and toured their facility and learned about the history of Comet.

After a paper converting company was shuttered in 1986, Comet School Supplies was founded with the former employees of that converting company. About 2/3 of its business at the time was in the K-12 sector of the school supply business. Comet slowly increased in its involvement with the college bookstore supply channel, and today about 80% of their business is serving the collegiate bookstore market. 

Comet initially was a regional company, but when they were awarded the Blue Books category in the old WCBA bid process in 1989, they made the decision to become a national company.  Ray Britton stated that ICBA (formerly WCBA) was the entity that first invited them to "the national dance". And they've been loyal to ICBA ever since.

Comet was also the first in the industry to introduce Green Books, at the urging of Jim Williams, former General Manager at the University of Oregon Duck Store. Comet Green Books feature a 100% recycled cover with 10% PCW and inside page that are 100% recycled with 30% PCW.

Today Comet School Supplies employees 35 full-time employees dedicated to making it the best paper converter in the industry. They are an American company receiving raw materials from vendors throughout the United States and manufacturing their products in the Palestine, Texas plant.

New from Comet for 2014 include unruled journals from the new Impressions Collection, Creations Covers Lot 8 Bird Series (1-, 3- and 5-subject notebooks) and the Loadstar Series (1-, 2-, 3- and 5-subject notebooks). Comet is also known for their Lefty Notebooks, 100 count stiff-backed knee pads (both college and law ruled) and of course the Blue Books. For ICBA members, please log into your ICBA member profile at www.ICBAinc.com to view Comet's current buying program.

Thank you to Ray, Don and the entire Comet School Supplies team for a fantastic visit and for their continued support of the ICBA member stores!

Written by Marty Duncan, ICBA Program Manager

ICBA President’s Update: January 2014 

David Kent, President ICBA Board of Directors

As we end one year and begin a new year I want to share with you some ICBA updates.

ICBA Collaborates with NACS indiCo

The action we took in 2013 that holds the greatest promise for 2014 is our collaboration with NACS indiCo. Ten months ago George Masforroll, NACS President and ICBA member, and Ed Schlichenmayer, indiCo President and COO, invited ICBA to collaborate in identifying and initiating actions in a joint venture to serve the interests of the independent college store channel. During the past year ICBA has invested significant resources into developing this venture. Up until now this has not been widely known outside of ICBA and NACS leadership. It is now my obligation as your President to share with you the strategic value ICBA assigns to this venture.  

Independent college stores as a channel are facing the most challenging time in the history of our industry. The market has never been more dynamic, competition has never been more intense, and our future has never been more uncertain. These are times that require any organization that lays claim to represent the interest of independent college stores to innovate as we have never innovated before.

At ICBA we believe that the independent college store channel must be fully functional with shared, foundational, support solutions. And we have very little time to reach a significant level of functionality with solutions that do not currently exist (although the potential does), and in collaborations that have never been tried before (yet offer so much to all the stakeholders). As a channel we must match our greatest competitors. It is time for us to risk more than others may think safe, and to expect more than others may think possible. Toward these goals ICBA aims for collaboration at the organizational level. We understand that with technology as our cornerstone we will be able to realize the networking capabilities of our stores as an organized channel. And that shared services is a critical element toward developing the resources needed to accomplish these goals.

Collaboration is not a new effort for ICBA. Our organization is built on store-to-store collaboration. In recent years ICBA has engaged in successful partnerships with other store and vendor organizations. We found the invitation from NACS indiCo to engage in collaborative ventures as not only right up our alley, but timely and compelling. Over the past ten months we have engaged in discussion and development at the highest levels of both organizations. In May the following people met to identify our joint strategic interests:

• George Masforroll, NACS President, and Associate Vice President, Auxiliary Services, Broward College
• Brian Cartier, NACS CEO
• Ed Schlichenmayer, NACS Deputy CEO, and indiCo President and COO
• Jeff Zeilenga, indiCo Board member, and Assistant Vice Chancellor, University of Missouri
• David Kent, ICBA President, and Director Vol Shops, University of Tennessee
• Arlyn Schaufler, ICBA Vice President, and General Manager The Duck Store, University of Oregon
• Stacy Waymire, ICBA Executive Director

The overarching sense of urgency was reflected in this opening statement:

In order to survive, within two years, the independent college store channel must be functional with shared support solutions that:

1. Improve the capabilities of all independent stores
2. Advance the channel as a whole
3. Enable the channel to compete more successfully 

Now is the time. This is the Place.

ICBA identifies the following strategies at the channel level:

• Industry cloud services
• Digital and custom content platform
• Digital marketing applications
• Centralized channel data
• Research
• Shared reporting platform
• Technology standards
• Training and professional development
• Retail intelligence
• Sourcing services
• Marketing and promoting the independent college store management model
• Independent college stores as a virtual brand
• Establishing an industry voice

As our collaborative efforts with NACS indiCo continue ICBA is guided by our understanding that in times of market disruption, competitive advantage is typically based on as yet unknown factors. So capability and flexibility are the keys. At the same time action is paramount because unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes. ICBA is moving forward with these priorities, and it is our hope that NACS indiCo will continue as our collaborative partner. I will be updating you as plans unfold.   

ICBA 2014 New Orleans

Capturing our imaginations in the immediate future is the ICBA 2014 Retail Conference. For the third straight year in a row we have set new records for store and vendor registrations. The ICBA Conference in New Orleans will be our most well attended ever. It is worth noting that this will be our eighty-fourth annual meeting. ICBA was founded eighty-seven years ago but we did not hold meetings from 1943 to 1945 because of World War II. I look forward to seeing you in New Orleans for a dynamic business exchange, and to enjoy the supportive camaraderie of the independent store culture. For those of you not able to attend, ICBA will be capturing many of the sessions on video for on-demand viewing after the event.

Welcome New Members

Yet another record for ICBA is that in 2013 we had the largest influx of new members for any year. Over thirty-four new members join us as we head into 2014. ICBA’s strategic goals in terms of membership are focused on growing the value we deliver to our member stores. We have never striven to be the largest organization. Our goal is to be the most valuable organization. ICBA remains the only professional cooperative in the industry serving institutional stores exclusively.

I hope this new year brings prosperity to your enterprises, and joy to your life!

How Standards Advance Retail

Change Is the Way You Serve Your Customers

"It used to be that companies were built to last. Now they are built to change.” 

– Lori Mitchell-Keller, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Retail for SAP

The Association of Retail Technology Standards (ARTS) started with a concept: to simplify change at the point of sale (POS). Even the most basic alternations to software and equipment at the POS were extraordinarily painful and expensive. 

ARTS helps retailers stay ahead of the technology curve. It brings together passionate retail experts to network and share their experience to build new standards. Whether it’s enabling retailers’ POS devices to work together to standardizing an approach to RFPs, ARTS members have collaborated extensively to meet the IT needs of the industry. ARTS continues to be thought-leaders in the rapidly-changing world of retail technology. 

Dick Mader, Executive Director of the Association of Retail Standards, a division of the National Retail Federation, will be addressing How Standards Advance Retail, and he is also presenting as part of the Retail Technology Panel at ICBA 2014.

Dick Mader, How Standards Advance Retail, and the Retail Technology Panel are part of the Strategic Direction and Marketing Programs at ICBA 2014.

The Association for Retail Technology Standards (ARTS) of the National Retail Federation is an international membership organization dedicated to reducing the costs of technology through standards. Since 1993, ARTS has been delivering application standards exclusively to the retail industry. ARTS has four standards: The Standard Relational Data Model, UnifiedPOS, XML, and the Standard RFPs (in partnership with NRF). Membership is open to all members of the international technology community-- retailers from all industry segments, application developers and hardware companies.

Rebranding Our Store

Discovery Duck

“It’s not just a job; it’s a culture.” 
– Jim Williams, Duck Store GM 36 years, Retired

Arlyn Schaufler

As college stores redefine our business models, many are discovering a new identity. Rebranding is not just about changing your name, the store sign and logo because these are not your brand. They are symbols that represent your brand. Rebranding is about exploring who you are in the minds of your customers, administrators, faculty, and community. Brands are made of experiences and expectations. Your customer's experiences are created by your people through personal interaction either indirectly, or directly. 

Rod Miles

The Duck Store at the University of Oregon is among the ICBA members who will be sharing their experience as part of the Rebranding Our Store session at ICBA 2014.

Arlyn Schaufler, General Manager of The Duck Store, and Rod Miles, Partner of Cappelli Miles will share the journey of discovery that arrived at The Duck Store.

Cappelli Miles is a full-service brand 
alignment and communications firm with offices in Eugene, Portland, Denver and Seattle. Led by founders Bruce Cappelli and Rod Miles, the company has been working with forward-thinking organizations for more than 30 years, crafting insightful brand strategy as the foundation for long term, multiphase, multimedia communication campaigns. 


Rebranding Our Store is part of the Strategic Direction and Marketing tracks at ICBA 2014.

State of the Art Retail Developments

Bridging the POS Gap to the Store of the...Present 

Meet Delia, She's in Your Stuff

Joe Skorupa, is Editor-in-Chief of Retail Information Systems News. At the conclusion of Joe's presentation at ICBA 2013, store directors overwhelmingly requested for Joe to return. At ICBA 2014 Joe will be addressing State of the Art Retail Developments, and he is also moderating the Retail Technology Panel. 

From mobility to the cloud, POS is changing at the speed of technology and retailers are racing to keep their systems in line with consumer expectations. Fixed POS units need to be prepared to manage 2D barcodes displayed by shoppers on their mobile devices, digital coupons, special offers, loyalty card IDs, and enabled QR codes. Mobile POS is already at 75% of fixed POS capability. 

How can brick and mortar stores differentiate themselves from their online-only competitors? A survey of retail executives by EKN, a division of RIS parent company Edgell Communications, indicates stores should offer the following: 

• A unique customer experience in-store 83%
• Value-added experiences not available online 70%
• Immediate and convenient access to products 68%
• Knowledgeable sales staff 65%
• A local destination for shopping and community 62%

Joe Skorupa, State of the Art Retail Developments, and the Retail Technology Panel are part of the Strategic Direction and Marketing Programs at ICBA 2014.

Your Online Strategy 

IS Your Business Strategy

Marketing in the Age of Google

"I don’t understand people who don’t drink coffee." 

Vanessa Fox is the author of  Marketing in the Age of Google: Your Online Strategy IS Your Business Strategy (Wiley, 2nd edition, April 2012), which has been called the “first must-read-to-survive business book of the twenty-first century”

In today’s searching world, customers turn to online search engines first. Yet many companies simply don’t realize acquiring customers from search engines should be a core business strategy. Instead, they usually focus on narrow goals, such as boosting page rankings. These oversights leave a huge channel for engaging with potential customers largely untapped. Businesses that use data about how people search to inform their product strategy will reach customers before the competition.

Vanessa created Google’s Webmaster Central, which provides both tools and community support to help website owners improve their sites with an eye towards gaining more customers from organic search. She was instrumental in the sitemaps.org alliance of Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft Live Search. Fox has also been an entrepreneur-in-residence with Ignition Partners and has served as an advisor for several startups.

In 2013, she sold the company she founded, Nine By Blue, to digital agency RKG. She works with RKG as chief product officer to evolve Blueprint Search Analytics, which she created at Nine By Blue to help companies of all sizes better integrate search engine optimization (SEO) throughout their organizations– from product design and web development to audience engagement and conversion.

Vanessa Fox, Your Online Strategy IS Your Business Strategy is a general session for all tracks at ICBA 2014.


Speaking of the Super Bowl...

"In 2010, we searched for information. In 2011, we went to Facebook and went to YouTube to see the videos again. In 2012, we talked about commercials on Twitter using hashtags. And, we didn’t replace one activity with another. We mostly added these new behaviors to what we were already doing. So, now we’re searching and Tweeting and Facebooking and YouTubing. What will we add this year? (I’m pretty sure we won’t start QR coding.)"

 - Vanessa Fox, The Lead Up To the Super Bowl: How Are We Searching?

The Naked Brand

Leading the Advertising Revolution

"The Naked Brand is a story about how the advertising industry can

help save the world one small step at a time."

Jeff Rosenblum is the founding partner of the Questus advertising agency, and co-writer and director of The Naked Brand film. When Jeff discovered that his behavior as a consumer was totally different than his behavior as a professional he began a deeper investigation into the fundamental assumptions and processes of marketing in light of our digital world of search, social and mobile. It is not just about old marketing models using new technology. His conclusion was that brands are defined on the basis of their behavior, not their advertising. By trying to answer the question, What does the future hold for advertising?, he discovered that the key to creating a break-through brand is to "be great, not just say you are great."

"Advertising can't bull#*!% anyone any more"

Porter Gale, CMO Virgin Brands

The Naked Brand film takes aim at traditional advertising and its future. With their constant use of technology and social media, today's consumers are smarter and more invested in what they buy and marketers are taking advantage of this newly empowered customer by creating transparent and positive stories about their companies and products.Retailers must also learn new ways to be great, transparent, and to tell our stories.

Jeff Rosenblum and The Naked Brand is a general session for all tracks at ICBA 2014.

Jeff Rosenblum is a pioneer, a disruptor, an innovator and an admitted pain in the ass. Widely regarded as one of the leading innovators in the field of digital marketing, Jeff focuses on developing processes that break down the boundaries that exist between research, strategy and creative. He regularly contributes to Ad Age, iMedia Connection, and has been featured in Newsweek Magazine and on Bloomberg TV. He presents at industry conferences, including iMedia, IAB, Shop.org, Webcom, Adweek and Game Changers. He has been a guest lecturer at NYU and The London Business School. 
Questus counts among their clients Capital One, General Mills, The NFL and Suzuki Motorcycles among others. Questus is the recipient of iMedia's Small Agency of the Year Award for two years running.