Bye bye bookstore?

For students who rely on the Campus Bookstore for last minute items like Scantrons, they might have to walk a little further.

The University of Memphis is looking to move the Campus Bookstore to an off-campus location on Highland Street, as part of the Highland Row project. The move to Highland could increase its size and sales.

Charles Lee, vice president business and finance, told the Memphis Business Journal such a move could double or even triple the store's sales. He said universities across the country that have moved their bookstores off-campus have seen traffic and sales grow.

If it moves, Lee said, the empty space will be filled with another store, such as a Kroger grocery store, a health food store or a pharmacy.

"We're talking to a lot of people," he told the Memphis Business Journal. "It's early in the process."

The U of M Bookstore posted sales of $6.43 million during the 2008 fiscal year, up from $6.15 million in the previous year, according to the article. Lee said sales could climb if enrollment grows

Lee did not return The Daily Helmsman's phone calls or an e-mailed list of questions. He did release a brief statement about the possible move.

"We are not building a new bookstore," Lee said in an e-mailed statement. "We are exploring the option of moving into rental space that will come on board in 24-36 months. Since we have a contract with Barnes & Noble, they are helping us to understand whether there is a business case. If the bookstore is moved, we will seek replacements companies who offer services that students would like."

The idea for the move came from Dan Poag, CEO of Poag & McEwen, the development company heading the project.

"The University of Pennsylvania had built an off-campus Barnes and Noble, and from what I know, the business was dramatically higher," Poag said. "It made me start thinking about it, so I set up a meeting with Charles Lee."

Poag also said the building could accommodate up of 40,000 square feet, if The University of Memphis wanted the extra space, which is almost double the current sze of 22,000-square feet.

The Highland Row Development will include 238 apartment units, 32 single-family townhouses and 90,000-100,000 square feet of retail. Poag told the Memphis Business Journal the bookstore could be the project's focal point.

"We're very excited about it," Poag said.

He said Poag & McEwen has all the details worked out, so either way they are going to use the building, but he hopes for the new bookstore to be in the works within the next year.

"It's going to happen, we just don't know when," he said. "We've already bought the land. It's just a matter of time. We haven't completed the details."

Highland Row will face the future Highland grand entrance to The University from Watauga to Midland.

The University, University Neighborhoods Development Corp. and other groups, are in the process of redeveloping the entire area. The University's seven-year property acquisition plan includes buying more than 100 properties that border Central, Highland, Walker and Patterson.

Lacy Jones, graduate assistant in art history, said she hopes the bookstore still has a café in it.

"I've enjoyed that," she said. "I think as long as it's accessible and within walking distance that's fine, because you park your car, and you don't want to move it after that."

Another student said she thinks students will look elsewhere to make their purchases.

"I think it's easy with it being right there," said Porshia Gibbs, a sophomore biology major. "It's more than a bookstore. If they took it off-campus, more people would go to Tiger Bookstore."

Kristy Jeffords, manager of Tiger Bookstore, said it will be an interesting choice for the Campus Bookstore to move.

"Competition is good for everybody," Jeffords said. "It's good for the students. It's been our mode of service since 1964. We think we are doing well with that. We'd get negative feedback if we didn't. We will just continue to do what we've been doing, which is provide high level of customer service and high quantity of used books. We definitely want to provide students with as many options as possible."

Jeffords said Tiger Bookstore won't have to change anything if the Campus Bookstore moves, but they will have to keep working harder.

"We'll do better the harder we work," she said. "Hopefully, we can give as good or better service than we have. The Tiger Bookstore is family run and all money stays in Memphis, Tennessee. All the money stays here and helps local people."