Sunday, December 12, 1999
Web site aims at college shoppers
E-store hawks 'from books to contacts'
BY DIONNE BRADDIX
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A Silicon Valley entrepreneur is targeting America's college campuses as a way to grab a piece of the online spending pie that will exceed $20 billion this year.
Four years ago, Oren Milgram was a San Jose State University student determined to find a way to better cater to the consumer needs of fellow students.
His creation: StudentMarket.com, billed as “an online college shopping solution.”
“The main goal is to provide quality products and services to college students for college life,” Mr. Milgram said.
His idea was conceived in 1995 when he noticed many students were complaining about the price of textbooks. He developed an online textbook exchange, where students could buy and sell textbooks from one another.
Initially, the site received fewer than 100 hits a day from students. Undeterred, Mr. Milgran was convinced if the site was broadened to include other consumer products, it would become more popular.
He's right. Today, StudentMarket.com draws as many as 30,000 hits a day from students buying not only books, but also computer accessories, academic software, music CDs, even contact lenses.
StudentMarket.com also includes links to off-site locations, such as J. Crew and other popular student-geared product manufacturers' online sites. The goal: users can get what they need even if the site itself does not carry a particular brand.
The site is drawing national attention, including student shoppers from Miami University.
Senior Heidi Nienberg recently discovered the site. She called the site an asset to overwhelmed, time-crunched college students.
“I couldn't believe the variety of products available on the site,” said the Ottawa, Ohio, native. “From books to contacts .... I just wish they sold groceries, too, so I wouldn't have to wait in line at Kroger's every week.”
The Web site's growing popularity is reflected in the national expansion of e-commerce sites targeting college students, said retail analyst Emily Meehan.
Major players in the surging e-commerce field targeting students also include Campus Pipeline and College Club.com.
“There are a lot of college portals that are trying to tap into this untapped market with lots of disposable cash,” Ms. Meehan said. “There's a myriad of players that hit the ground running last year. It's a great idea, and students definitely need something like that.”
Experts say several cultural factors are driving interest in online shopping. Among the most obvious is convenience. Time-strapped consumers can e-shop at all hours.
Also, the public is developing a growing understanding of the Internet, as more homes and offices incorporate and embrace the technology.
In many cases, the savings online also can be dramatic.
For example, at Student.Market.com, the new Tori Amos CD, “To Venus and Back,” is sold for about $17.50 — more than $7 less than its asking price at most stores.
Another bargain is computer software. Micrsoft Office 2000 is priced on the site at $199.98. The same software is sold for $579.99 at local Best Buy stores.
There is also a strong consumer angle to the site, aimed at helping students deal with such personal finance issues as credit card use or how to get student loans.
“It's great because if you have any questions or need guidance about anything, you can look and there's all this information and advice” Ms. Nienberg said. “That's the cool-
est part of the whole thing.”
That's very valuable for consumers afraid to share credit card information, said Miami senior Ryan Radaszwski of Lebanon.
“I'm still apprehensive about ordering things off the internet,” he said. “But the site has a good grasp of student needs and interests.”
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