JOURNAL OF HIGHER EDUCATION THEORY AND PRACTICE

Your Local Friendly Bookstore: Evidence of Pillaging Indiana
College Students

Author(s): David A. Dilts, Hedayeh Samavati, Nodir Adilov

Citation: David A. Dilts, Hedayeh Samavati, Nodir Adilov, (2011) "Your Local Friendly Bookstore: Evidence of Pillaging Indiana College Students," Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, Vol.11, Iss. 1, pp. 21 - 27

Article Type: Research paper

Publisher: North American Business Press

Abstract:

The rate of inflation for textbook prices has far exceeded the overall rate of price-inflation over the last
two decades in the US. This paper examines the retail prices of introductory micro and macro economics
textbooks sold at the bookstores located on or near the campus where students attend college. Data were
collected for several universities in the State of Indiana. The findings support the conclusion that
campuses where a student can buy a textbook at or below the Suggested Retail Price are those where at
least a modicum of competition exists. That is, the evidence points to the monopolized retail market for
textbooks as a major culprit for the price inflation of textbooks.