Data gathering for the ABACUS-11 Survey is underway, and on July 16 ABA member bookstores received an e-mail reminder from OnCampus Research information analyst Martha Love about the opportunity to submit their 2011 financial results to this year’s study. (The e-mail’s subject line was “ABACUS11 Reminder.”) This is the second year ABA has contracted with OnCampus Research, the research division of the National Association of College Stores, to manage the survey and compile the reports.

The ABACUS-11 Survey deadline is August 15, 2012.

ABACUS is an ABA members-only survey designed to help indie bookstores improve their operations and bottom line. Input from hundreds of members is compiled in the aggregate to establish benchmarks for stores looking for ways to improve their businesses and become more profitable. ABACUS also provides valuable insight for ABA’s ongoing education curriculum.

Stores participating in ABACUS-11 will receive a free customized report in late fall that analyzes their financial results, including comparisons with other businesses based on multiple criteria (such as sales level, store size, and community type) in addition to year-to-year trending information. Store data is submitted to ABACUS via a completely secure and confidential electronic form, and, once submitted, it is only accessible to Love, as the OnCampus Research staff person responsible for the survey.

For stores not participating in ABACUS-11, a summary of the report data — without the customized details — will be available for purchase at a discounted price.

“Strong participation is the key to ensuring a robust and viable ABACUS report,” said ABA Content Officer Dan Cullen. “Participating booksellers have told us that the in-depth, actionable information contained in ABACUS plays an extremely important role in improving store operations — and is well worth the relatively short amount of time it takes to submit their data.”

Booksellers with questions about submitting data to the survey can contact Love at OnCampus Research via e-mail [4] or at (800) 622-7498, ext. 2448. Booksellers who have general questions about ABACUS can contact ABA’s Cullen via e-mail [5] or at (800) 637-0037 ext. 6660.