Scholastic Provides More Info on Potter Retailer Coupon Program

When the clock strikes midnight on June 21, ushering in the release of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, many booksellers will see droves of eager fans rushing through the door in a mad scramble to purchase the latest Potter adventure. But for booksellers participating in Scholastic's Retailer Coupon Program, one thing that might not be so easy to count is how many extra copies of the title to have on hand for customers who preorder their books through a Scholastic Book Fair.

Regarding their concerns, Michael Jacobs, Scholastic's senior vice-president, trade, noted, "We will be getting a sense of the Scholastic Book Fair pre-orders for Harry Potter V over the next six to eight weeks, both in terms of numbers and geographic locations. While we won't know for certain which customers will choose which participating retail venues to pick up their books, we will be able to work with booksellers in those locales where preordering is heavy to make sure they are adequately covered."

Furthermore, Jacobs continued, participating retailers do not need to track down book fair organizers to obtain a sales count. However, if the store has an established contact with the book fair, "it may help them get a sense of how the pre-sell is going in a particular school or area," he said.

Scholastic introduced its Retailer Coupon Program at the end of March in response to the concerns of booksellers regarding the pre-selling of Order of the Phoenix at Scholastic Book Fairs. Under the program, students who pre-order Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at a Scholastic Book Fair through the remaining school year, for the full retail price of $29.99, will receive a collectible baseball cap and an official certificate of purchase. Beginning June 21, the holder of the certificate may redeem it for a copy of Harry Potter at participating retailers.

Participating retailers will receive a $20 credit on their HarperCollins account for each certificate redeemed. In addition, these retailers will receive 10 units of a collectible Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix baseball cap and their store name, address, and phone number will be posted on the Scholastic Web site at www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/harrypotter. Thus far, over 400 bookstores have joined the program.

Booksellers who would like to participate in Scholastic's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Retailer Coupon Program must sign-up by April 30. A registration form is available on the Scholastic Web site at http://www.scholastic.com/custsupport/booksellers/hpv/vendors.asp. Retailers without Internet access may contact their sales representative to sign up. --Dave Grogan