Campus Text gets a roof over its head

After four years of selling discounted textbooks from Ryder trucks beneath the 38th Street footbridge, Campus Text Inc. moved to a new location this week: a storefront near 40th and Walnut Streets that formerly housed a Greek-paraphernalia store. Since it was unable to obtain University permission to operate in its former location, the Bala-Cynwyd, Pa.-based company relocated to one of the few non-University-owned properties surrounding the Penn campus. In a May 1997 settlement resolving Campus Text's 1996 lawsuit against the University, Campus Text was required to seek University authorization to operate on campus while Penn agreed not to discriminate against the company for filing the lawsuit in deciding whether it could stay in its former location. Campus Text had feared University ill will for a 1996 lawsuit against Penn, the City of Philadelphia and Barnes & Noble College Bookstores Inc., which has operated the Penn bookstore since 1996. The lawsuit accused the University and University police officers who were passing out promotional literature on Locust Walk. After the company formally requested to retain its 38th Street location, the University failed to respond quickly enough for the company to plan its fall sales, forcing the company to find an alternate location, according to owner Michael Saewitz. University Associate General Counsel Robert Terrell, the University's contact on the Campus Text lawsuit, could not be reached for comment. The textbook seller plans to continue operating at Penn indefinitely, though Saewitz refused to comment on the particulars of his lease with Weisenthal Properties, which owns the property. Penn students should not expect a change in textbook prices from the move, Saewitz said. He described the rent as "manageable." Although Campus Text has competed directly with the University bookstore since a Penn student founded the business in 1994, Saewitz expects sales to dip this semester because of the novelty of the brand new bookstore at 36th and Walnut streets. The new location has caused considerable change for a company accustomed to selling its wares out of a truck. "It's culture shock for us," Saewitz said. "We are not used to having a roof over our heads." "A lot of people associated with the University are surprised that we are still around," he said, noting the popular textbook vendor's confrontational history with the University. Shortly after it opened in 1994, Campus Text changed its name from Penn Text under pressure from the University for possible trademark violations. The store is the former location of Going Greek, which sold Greek-letter paraphernalia to Philadelphia fraternities and sororities. Going Greek closed in January when the 13-store chain went out of business. Campus Text will be open during the textbook-selling season through September 18 with varying hours.