Business Communications

Collegiate Textbooks

Market Analysis Report

Prepared for:

Ms. Evelyn Dallas

English 225: Written Communications

National College of Business and Technology

Prepared by:

Fencellio McCoy

ISE Student

National College of Business and Technology

June 17, 2013

CONTENTS

PAGE

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………iv

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..1

The Costs of Textbooks are Too High for the Average Student…………………………………..1

Place in the Industry……………………………………………………………………………….2

Description of the Competitors……………………………………………………………………2

Competitive Strategies…………………………………………………………………………….2

Outlook……………………………………………………………………………………………3

Suggested Strategy………………………………………………………………………………...3

Works Cited……………………………………………………………………………………….4

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

TABLES

1. Average Debt Carried by Graduating Classes…………………………………………….1

2. Where Your Textbook Dollar Goes……………………………………………………….2

3. Textbook Inflation Rates…………………………………………………………………..3

Executive Summary

This report analyzes the secondary education textbook market. This report is designed to breakdown the costs, benefits, and future of textbooks.

Collegiate textbook prices have become a burden on college students. Prices are steadily increasing and more and more students are finding it hard to find funding to pay for the required texts.

Solutions to this problem seem easy and clear but there are several hurdles that need to be cleared before they can be resolved. Alternatives to physical textbooks are cheaper and more accessible but convincing the publishers that it is in their best interests remains a problem. In today’s highly profitable sales model, publishers remain reluctant to change the model that has earned them billions of dollars and a chokehold on the textbook market.

Students have power in this equation as well. They are the consumer and can dictate which medium they receive the information as well as what...