New bookstore on campus

You might have seen AKO bookstores at train stations throughout the Netherlands, but they are now expanding to university campuses. This Monday, the first one opened here in Delft, on the Stieltjesweg. Besides AKO’s core product range of Dutch and English books and magazines, they also offer services specific to university campuses. These include a fast online printing service, Apple refurbished phone specialist Ieapp and personal products like shampoo and shaving cream. The book store is located on the Stieltjesweg. (Photo: Nora de Vries)

“It is a bit of an experiment at this point,” says Stephany, who works behind the counter. “Because this is our first store on a university campus, we have to figure out what the students want and need. For example, we have fewer magazines than other AKO stores because we feel students don’t really buy them. Also, we heard that the calculators we sell here are not allowed in the exams at the university, so we need to change them. This way, we are learning how we can offer the products and services that are needed here.”

So far, the book store seems to attract enough visitors: “We have only been open since Monday, but every day I see a few more people coming in. At the moment, there are only two people working here, including me, but we are working on getting other employees here.”

• Address: Stieltjesweg 824 (below the student flat)
• Open Monday – Friday from 8:00 – 19:00, Saturday 12:00 – 17:00