Bog standard university bookstore, though more overpriced than most. At my undergrad alma mater, you could pick up a branded sweatshirt for the same price as you'll see at a normal store. Here, you're paying double or triple and the quality isn't there unless you're buying one of the Lululemon items and you can get those cheaper at Lululemon as well. A store like this made sense in 1995 but I don't know why you'd shop here now that you can buy things online. There's nothing wrong with this place, but why pay a huge premium to subsidize the university? It's not like this is a small indie bookstore that you want to support because they run cool events and you like the owner. It's a store that's owned and operated by a university with a $3.6B a year budget that prices items in the bookstore such that they only make sense if you're rich enough to not care about paying triple price for a sweater. read more

If I didn't know better, I would have thought I walked in to an upscale gift or department store. It is so huge, with lots of clothes, gifts, supplies, and, of course, books. There were students buying textbooks and tourists buying souvenirs. I had a lot of fun looking around and even got myself a few UBC mementos. read more

I picked up my diploma frame 19 years ago and came back to pick up another diploma frame. This bookstore have evolved these past years. The layout is a lot more efficient where the cashier is located at the front entrance and is easily seen. Customer service is helpful. Granted, everything seems pricy, but it is a university bookstore. They still have books, but I was amazed at the other items they have, from socks to knick knacks with the logo UBC. The variety of clothing was a lot more too. The only down side was the limited parking. It's best to go earlier, later, or when school is on holidays. It's not bad to park further away and just walk to the bookstore. It's a scenic tour to see some of the renovated buildings as well as the row of restaurants they have now. read more

UBC Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I love reading, so pretty much any bookstore is going to get a minimum of three stars, just for selling books. While the UBC Bookstore does sell non-academic books and cool knickknacks, being a university bookstore, it of course specializes in textbooks, school supplies, and assorted school swag. Having completed my undergraduate degree at UBC, I've purchased a lot from the UBC Bookstore over the years. At the end of 2018, about a month before my wedding, I made the impulsive decision to go back to school and take accounting courses, in order to advance my career (it's already given me better opportunities at work). After a horrible semester at Langara, I switched to UBC in September. My next class begins in January, and it was less than a week ago that I learned which textbook I need for my upcoming class (Intermediate Accounting, part 2). Not only does it take me an hour, each way, to get to UBC, but being the holidays, the bookstore is closed until January, making it difficult for me to purchase the textbook outside of my work hours, and with enough time before class starts. However, for an additional fee ($10+), there was an option to have the textbook shipped. As much as I didn't want to spend an extra $10 on top of an already expensive textbook, I requested that my purchase be shipped. I placed the order on December 22nd, the order was confirmed on December 23rd, and to my surprise, I received it on December 24th! Wow, I was impressed! I was not expecting the order to arrive until after Christmas. One thing I don't like about the UBC Bookstore is their selection of highlighters. There are three basic types of highlighters: skinny ones, fat round ones, and flat ones. I prefer the fat round ones, and needing more highlighters, I went to the bookstore earlier this semester to purchase some. I specifically wanted yellow, pink, and orange highlighters, and even if it was more expensive per unit to purchase individual highlighters than to purchase a pack, I was willing to do so, as I did not need green, blue, or purple highlighters. Unfortunately, all I could find were packs of highlighters with numerous colors I did not need (I couldn't even find a pack of yellow!), and the only single highlighters were the flat ones. No thank you! Despite the lack of highlighter variety, the UBC Bookstore is pretty solid. [Yelp collections: Libraries and Bookstores] read more

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I love this bookstore! Yes, it's expensive. Everything in here is expensive. But that's a given, since this is a university bookstore. Every university bookstore I've ever been to - and there have been too many to count - all have one thing in common: they are ALL expensive. So one shouldn't ding this store for the prices of its merchandise. This store is big and the merchandise, diverse. I love how they have some Canadiana stuff, and lots of UBC-branded clothing, from baby clothes to activewear to socks. LOTS of variety. TONS of school supplies and books (many discounted), from best sellers to gift books to, of course, textbooks. LOTS of gift items, from cute household items to handmade, organic soaps and cosmetics to gourmet chocolates. There's a decent-sized area devoted to backpacks, fyi. And there's a Starbucks attached to the store (bonus!). My only two gripes: the sale prices on "sale" items could be a lot better. Taking $5 off a $23 pair of gag socks isn't really a great sale price. Also, I just wish this store had longer hours. I had evening courses here on campus that started at 6:30pm, and I was always amazed that this large bookstore closed at 5:30pm most days. There were always a lot of customers still in the store at this time (like me!), and we'd all be buying a lot more stuff if we could browse a bit more. Many of us commented regularly how we'd love it if the store could be open until at least 6pm during the weekdays. read more

My sister and I both graduated from UBC and have to say the bookstore has changed completely. We came here to pick up books for my youngest sister. I liked the old way how they organized the textbooks. Its now organized by author last name. Yes to me that's confusing. In the past it was organized by department and subject. They have more options in clothings as well. We were able to find a sweatshirt for my sister. :-) I can imagine myself coming every 4 months with my sister. However, there are not a lot of parking spots. If you are there to pick up books and is going to drive. Either come later or earlier. As well the parking attendant does check. So don't take the chance. read more

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Brought two items to the cashier, and the bill came up a bit higher than expected, but nothing outrageous. Walked out of the store & looked at the receipt, and I got billed for a shirt that I never picked out (& was in the size that the cashier likely wears). Thought it could be an honest mistake, but the extra item was not in the bag, and when I returned to the store, the cashier wasn't there. read more

Great place to shop, have a selection of nice clothes as well as books. Lineups can be long during peak season, but that is to be expected at any university bookstore. Return policy can also be a bit daunting. read more

Wow...bookstore with all the fixin's - great environment, lots of branded quality clothing, and the requisite books and accouterments that every college kid and parent needs. Surprised not more branded clothing by sport, but I guess its just what the managers/buyers order and what the population wants. The book selection is great, but the prices are meh...you can definitely get some of the medical books for cheaper on Amazon (and definitely on the used market). But the many other non-text book-y stuff is great with a huge variety of interest books from both local subjects to even some indie authors. The Starbucks is ok, and seems to get a bit busy, but everyone seems to be patient and in general there is good and friendly customer service. The only issue is parking - there isn't that much, and note the parking people check REGULARLY - so don't forget to pay at the station! read more

Having attended a few universities in my tumultuous university career I know a thing or two about their bookstores. UBC's is particularly large, befitting the size of the school, and has serious problems with lineups to pay for overpriced texts at the beginning of every semester. There are one or two ways around this, of course: the venerable Amazon method, which now that I'm in upper level classes doesn't always work for me; a program the bookstore puts on called Fast Start, where they pick out textbooks based on a student's courses, put them in a box, and he or she can pick them up from a kiosk without setting foot inside the packed bookstore; or you can do what I did this semester. Show up in the morning on the first day of class. Rather than waiting 20 or 30 (or sometimes 40) minutes in line, my wait was about 5 minutes. Besides the line problems, UBC bookstore is a bit better than your average university's. They've got all kinds of extra stuff, from computers to clothes. That's great if you don't need to shop around for your computing needs or have some school spirit, but my objective is usually to get in and out as quick as possible. Also, don't believe the map here. Google doesn't realize University Blvd has a 6200 block. It's really on the corner of University and East Mall, down the steps at the south-west side of the intersection. read more

I second all the stuff that Geoff B. said in the FTR, but I add a fourth star for three reasons: quality, customer service and a dash of sustainability. I just bought a whack of Moleskines which are awesome, and they had a pretty good selection of the high quality notebooks. Most of the products in-store are of a decent standard, and they offer many that are of above average quality. The customer service has always been great here for me, even when its start-of-semester insanity time, and since most of the staff are university students, they're usually not bad to look at either. I'm not sayin'.... I'm just sayin'.... yeah. Anyway. Finally, probably due to the demands of worldly students, UBC bookstore offers a pretty fine selection of environmentally-friendly and sustainable products, and seems to take the initiative to heart: if you bring your own bag, or don't need one for your purchase, they donate to charity. Right on. read more

I really enjoy wandering around UBC's bookstore whenever I get the chance. The store looks fantastic, especially now that all of the renovations are over. I've been going here for over a month, but I wanted to wait until school started to write an accurate review. Compared to other university bookstores, UBC is definitely at the top of the list for organization and cleanliness (even though it is smaller). The books and stationary are really well organized, and it's pretty easy to find whatever you're looking for. If you need computer stuff, the microstore here is fantastic. They offer plenty of software, hardware, and even video games. As for UBC clothing, they have a great selection of hoodies, sweatpants, and other UBC gear. If you are having problems finding something, the staff both in the store and at the information booth are very helpful. Some things are a bit pricey, but do you expect anything less for a university bookstore? If you only want to buy stationary, don't go to the front of the store to pay. There is a little desk in the center of the store near the pens that rarely has a line and specializes in faculty accounts and stationary sales. Save yourself some time, especially during the beginning of the semester. Another tip: Don't be nervous about long lines for the U-Pass. The system UBC set up is extremely quick. They have over 20 machines, and all you do is swipe your UBC student card to get your pass. It takes maybe 30 seconds, so even if there is a line you won't be there for long. read more

It's a university bookstore with lots of stuff with the UBC logo on it, what else can I say about this place. The store is laid out very oddly, almost maze like. If you want to grab something quick, and head to the check in line because you're running late for class, you can't. You have to walk all the way around the store and through the clothing section before you can make your purchase. But what can you do, this is THE bookstore on campus. read more

Take my money UBC, take my money every year. They sell everything at a very high price and nothing is ever on sale. Clearly doesn't give a rat's ass about students. I never bought any UBC souvenirs, although I kind of want the UBC hoodies and sweat pants. I give it an extra star since it does what it should do very well, which is take my money away. Could use better looking cashier clerks. read more

It certainly has grown since I was here last, about 28 years ago. Not just a bookstore, but a place to paint your educational canvas with school neccessities. Get a cup of coffee, touristy finds like UBC stuff and trinkits abound. read more

OK, they're digging the place up and can't find a parking spot. But at least it's not snowing. From past visits, I remember you could get sandwiches + salads from around $3 . The food area also stock everyday items such as fresh salads, sandwiches, toiletries, groceries, soft drinks, redbull...for exams. There's Cori's Kitchen and sandwiches by Duke's On Broadway. As I remember, the sandwiches are fairly good and priced between $5.50 - 6.50. Very good when on the run. Didn't get my UBC hoodie this year; or fav books like formal treatise on Monty Python in bi-lingual-French-Canadian/Anglais. read more

There's a Starbucks here so that's the best part about coming to UBC bookstore. You can certainly grab your go-to drinks and check off your caffeine coffee cravings for the day. The line can get long but it goes by fast just like any other Starbucks. However, the wait for the drinks is a little longer than most Starbucks. I guess that's because this Starbucks only have 2-3 baristas working. Besides coming here for drinks, I do usually browse around for books and UBC gears. It's only for fun. I don't normally get anything in here anyways because the price is quite high compare to other stores. I would not recommend buying books here at all! It's cheaper at the village, craiglist, Amazon and other online sites! But if you do need books asap, UBC has most all the books you need so you can get it at your convenient! I also love the new renovations - it's clean and sharp ! read more

UBC Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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The store is still undergoing renos. A bit of a mess but I love books so I had to hop a bus and go out to one of my favourites. Good selection of UBC bags, t shirts, sweatpants, key chains, etc, etc.They have some really unique gift ideas too, by the way. read more

Extremely overpriced. They sell regular logitech headphones 20 dollars more than other stores. No price matching policy and extremely rude if you tell them that their products are overpriced. Staples, a block away from the bookstore sells the exact same notebooks for 2 dollars and you can purchase them at UBC for 6-10 dollars. Given that students are financially battling to survive (except for the small fraction who self fund), this is unfair and does not align well with UBC's goal which is education. Such a shame. read more

As crazy as it gets when it comes time to buy course materials at the beginning of term, they are really good at keeping everything organized and orderly (especially compared to other uni bookstores I've had to deal with). Even when I had to stand in what looked like a line of 150 people, I only had to wait about 20 minutes because they had tons of people working at check-out. They also have non-school books, lots of awesome stationary, spirit wear, a tech department and food/housewares type stuff (mugs, calendars, etc). I think you get a small discount with your UBCcard on purchases as well. The reason I've rated the bookstore down is because pretty much all non-course materials are highly over-priced, which is a little disappointing and seems like they might be trying to take advantage of the fact that they're in the heart of campus. Also, there is only one door, which sounds like a silly thing to complain about, but I find very inconvenient and annoying. read more

I wouldn't get too excited about UBC bookstore unless you actually have the money to buy the books or the supplies. For the record, UBC bookstore used to be the largest bookstore in B.C. This was when Coles was still the king of mall bookstores. Now UBC Bookstore is only for people who can afford to buy new books. Most UBC students who need books for their classes buy all used books. There is a clothing area for UBC merchandise and an area where you can buy computer equipment (mostly Mac). They sell backpacks and bags for school too. As typical of larger bookstores, you can buy coffee, muffins, and cinnabuns too. read more

The University of British Columbia has long been notorious for its aggressive blue-collar protectionism and UBC Bookstore is but one more example. In a desperate bid to protect its legion of union employees in the wake of Amazon and open source competition, the book store colludes with the university to be the sole supplier of all the one-off software and textbooks created specifically for all the required junk arts and science courses unnecessary for anything but graduation. Students need these mostly first-year survey courses to get a degree but the course materials like the junk courses have little or no re-sale value. Don't blame the faculties, either. Strangely, interestingly, few, if any, profs are consulted about grad requirements. It's not clear who exactly decides which courses are required to obtain a degree. All we know is that junk courses are taught typically by non-tenured lecturers who add or delete a chapter each year to their material to compel annual sales. Quite often the junk software required for the junk course is only available if you also buy the book. So much for the university's commitment to sustainability. No wonder students are acquiring such massive debt! And for what? Even worse, the book store now has a policy of no return on items even with receipts and the original bag beyond - wait for it - two weeks! So be very careful browsing the stacks. I bought a $20 'studypod' for our resident scholar, who declined the gift - doesn't work for him. But although it was only opened once, no problem with it, the book store won't take it back. Am considering a complaint to the local Better Business Bureau that a two-week no return policy is a deceptive trade practice according to various consumer protection laws and regulations. No reasonable consumer would ever in a million years expect such a short limitation period on returns. It's not the usual community practice and it's highly unlikely that consumers are properly notified. Biblitz was not. I would urge others to complain about this ridiculous two-week no return policy as I would urge students to lobby your faculty to remove all but core subjects from graduation requirements. University is not high school, for goodness sake. No one has the time or money to waste on junk arts and science courses and all the corresponding bumf no one else will ever want or need. Don't let the university or the book store use you like this! read more

Compared to any other university's bookstore that I've seen, UBC's bookstore is definitely one of the best. Now albeit, it's sometimes overprices (but which University Bookstore isn't?), but they have a great selection of gifts, backpacks, books (not only text books), Apple products, sales, clothing, and more! They're great at donating UBC goods for door prizes for events held by on campus student groups. And they sell coffee when you're needing a quick fix, and it's the only thing close by and you don't have time to run to the SUB. read more

Really cool book store, it's under major construction now but should be completed in the near future. The staff is very friendly and a ton of UBC gears. read more

A busy central hub on the UBC campus. Pros: -Good customer service. The place is a maze, but they generally know where to find things. -Logistics. This place is a disaster in the first week of the semester, but they've done it before and they know how to handle it. You won't actually wait that long in line at all. -Electronics department. Usually pretty quiet, and sells a large amount of things you may need to pick up (earbuds, cases, computer, etc.) They also have Bell there which is convenient for me. -They have some pretty great deals on books and novels no longer needed for courses. Seriously, you can get some recent hard cover books for like $7 or $8. Cons: -Like most university book stores or textbook stores, dramatically overpriced for your materials. You have a better bet to go to the Discount Textbook store, Amazon, or search online -Buybacks are an absolute joke. They'll offer for possibly $13 for a textbook you paid $180 for, if they even accept it. Not entirely their fault if the instructors change course materials, but buybacks are not worth it whatsoever. -The place is a maze. The layout doesn't particularly make sense. However, it appears that they may soon be starting renovations/expansions. read more

I actually made this part of my review for UBC all over, however, didn't know that the book store was a separate entity from, therefore, as follows here is my review. Their branded merchandise is expense, especially the agenda book. I came here to see if the text books for courses that I was taking at Langara would be cheaper here, however, the prices were the same. Stationary was over priced. Not a lot of common books as they do cater to text books and or course required material. Customer service was okay. This place is large, very well organized and I had exceptional customer service. read more

The store is neat but the Starbucks inside is one of the poorest ones ive been to. Awful customer service. Not friendly and super slow. The barrista prefer gossiping with colleagues over processing orders. This is not a one off btw. I visit there almost everyday and its the same story. read more

My biggest gripe with the UBC bookstore is their buyback process. They pay on average 5-10% of what you paid for it, and then re-sell it again at significant mark up. What a ponzi scheme. When i went to return a bunch of textbooks after graduating, they would only offer me a penance for most of them. I walked away and sold them online for significantly more. read more

If you are looking for just hat special thing for the nerd in your life, look no further, but be sure to plug the meter!

I ordered a textbook for an online course that they didn't have. I ordered it well before the start date and they said it should come in in time. Weeks went by and I didn't hear anything so I contacted them and they said it wouldn't be in until mid October (my course would have been half over by then) so I told them that wouldn't work and I needed to cancel my order. I also cancelled it via email just to be sure. I found the textbook on Amazon for much cheaper and it was here very quickly. Well to my surprise The bookstore charged my credit card and shipped me the textbook anyways even though I cancelled my order (twice). They weren't helpful at all when I called and then I got an email saying to return the book for a refund. It took weeks to get my refund but it was less the shipping and handling AND I had to pay to ship the book back. I ended up losing over 40$ just on shipping. Not impressed considering I cancelled this order 3 weeks prior to it being shipped. read more