This fall, bookstores in Starkville have adjusted their business to reflect local changes in the textbook market such as the Bulldog Bundle.
Located near the Wesley Foundation and Baptist Student Union, Campus Book Mart closed over the summer to change their business structure and make up for lost revenue streams.
Barbara Foster, the manager of Campus Book Mart, was part of the team that took on the challenge of restructuring, remodeling and reforming of the store’s business plan.
“Back in March, when the university went to the Bulldog Bundle program, we thought this may be our time to quit selling textbooks because we can’t compete with that,” Foster said.
Foster said the store could not afford to compete with the bundle’s $20 charge per credit hour.
The Bully Shop was formerly in the downstairs area of Campus Book Mart and sold apparel, artwork and other Mississippi State University gift-related items.
“We just decided we would go ahead and bring the Bully Shop upstairs. We have more room, and we’re able to carry a lot more things,” Foster said.
According to Foster, the Bully Shop had been located downstairs since the 1980s before being reestablished in the central area of the store.
“We said, ‘we’ll do a grand re-opening the weekend of the first football game to get everybody jazzed up and excited,’ and we did. We had a great time,” Foster said.
Book Mart & Café is a two-story bookstore located in downtown Starkville near Nine-TwentyNine Coffee Bar and Moe’s Barbecue.
Jency Montgomery, an employee at Book Mart & Café, mentioned the relationship the store shared with Campus Book Mart and how that relationship has evolved.
“We are sister stores with Campus Book Mart, and it changed their whole way of doing things,” Montgomery said.
While Campus Book Mart discontinued textbook sales and reestablished their store, the Book Mart & Café remains the same.
“As far as our sales here, it wasn’t any big deal because we didn’t order that many textbooks anyway,” Montgomery said.
However, Montgomery said the bookstore has brought back their Children’s Time event to cater to younger audiences.
“We had to quit Children’s Time for COVID-related reasons, but my boss has brought it back, and our Children’s Time has been doing great,” Montgomery said.
Montgomery said the upstairs area of the store will accommodate all ages with its variety of products. 
Located on Highway 12, Campus Bookstore permanently closed before the beginning of this fall semester.
Kyler Smith, a junior computer engineering major, said that the abrupt and permanent closing of the store seemed unfair.
“It’s annoying for me to not have a convenient local business to buy books on a budget,” Smith said.
Campus Book Mart and Book Mart & Café are still in business, and both representatives said they look forward to seeing more students come in soon.