Good grief, could they have put the bookstore in a place that is such a long walk from nearly every part of campus? It is a good thing there is a cafe since you'll likely be tired, parched and famished by the time you arrive through the doors and into the bright entrance. Its funny, I first visited Stanford back as a member of the CJSF back in grade school over ten years ago and my first time back since, it looked just as I remembered. The bookstore is a nice place to just take it slow, read some magazines, grab a sandwich, browse through the over-priced computer accessories and snicker at the outrageously priced Stanford merchandise. The mini Apple store upstairs is cool and I actually picked up a good deal on a MacBook here. The woman that works up there is very nice and very helpful in finding me a bonus that came with the laptop. I do my textbook shopping online so I can't comment on the bookstore part but I'd imagine they are like every other campus bookstore: charge way too much for books and pay you way to little to buy them back. 9/2008 EDIT: ----- I will now buy all my Mac products here! Test them at the Apple Store but buy them here. I got a great deal on a new MacBook Pro that was $200 cheaper, Apple Care for $30 cheaper, and $20 cheaper for the Mighty Mouse and Extreme Airport. w00t! Workers aren't super friendly, almost snobby, but hey...give me cheap Apple stuff and you can do whatever you want! read more

This is a large campus bookstore with an enormous selection of Stanford branded apparel and souvenirs. I am quite fond of the sturdy shelves filled with the works of my literary idols, including the well stocked poetry and fiction sections. The store is well-organized and has separate tables featuring the latest fiction and non-fiction releases, hardcover and paperback, as well as a section featuring the books written by Stanford's very own genius professors. The cafe is located on the second floor. Not only can you purchase your typical coffee and baked goods, they also stock shelves and shelves of candy, as well as a freezer full of ice cream bars. The second floor also houses magazines, electronics, non-fiction, and children's books. If you're looking for a new iPad, go up to the second floor; you can grab a cappuccino and a copy of the latest The New Yorker while you're up there as well. The lower levels of the bookstore are host to textbooks and desk supplies. It looks like you can find every kind of desk accessory and workplace organizer you might need for class or business. Every time I go to this bookstore, it's been quiet yet bustling with busy shoppers, students as well as campus visitors. This is definitely worth visiting and hanging out in so you can browse and read at your leisure. Many of the books can be pricey compared to ordering from online sites, but I did find several books autographed by the authors probably when they held campus book signing events, if that's what you're into. read more

Although they offer a wide selection of books, no one usually comes here to buy the latest best seller. Tourists come here for the great selection of Stanford gear and items. If you wanna represent Stanford when walking around, this is the place to go. Students come here for the convenience of their Computer/electronics section upstairs and their course books/school supplies downstairs. The computer section offers expensive, but convenient laptops as well as hard drives, software(like MatLab), speakers and even some game systems and tablets. If you buy their stuff, they even offer free repairs if you aren't computer savvy (but that seems pretty rare at Stanford where Computer Science is the largest major...). The books below are organized by course. Just bring your semester schedule, and they'll have all the books your courses require. Makes buying course books such an easy process. read more

This makes me think of a Barnes & Noble on steroids. It actually reminds me very much of a famous and always crowded bookstore back in Lexington, KY. Same ambiance, same type of service, same vibe, which respectively are casual yet conducive for studying, friendly, and with happy-seeming customers. Go to the second floor and you can get cheap drinks and snacks. If you're a coffee drinker, which I'm not, a cup of joe is $0.50. Yes, $0.50. All the Stanford paraphernalia and gear imaginable is in this space. There is Wi-Fi, which is a complete, "Well, no duh!" I don't know how the experience is while shopping, ordering books and dealing with customer service as a student, but for the strollers and "commoners," just browsing the store makes for a nice afternoon. read more

This is probably my dad's favorite bookstore. The building is roomy and friendly. The technical book selection is pretty decent. They have a lot of books here and I never get bored. I love how I can go upstairs to satisfy hunger pains at the cafe or surf the web on the Apple laptops in the computer section. Books, food, and internet. What else do you need? I frequently see people reading test prep books at the cafe tables. The store also has a section that sells Stanford memorabilia and a textbook area. Note to Yelp editor: There are two Stanford Bookstores listed and their reviews should be merged. read more

This is the bookstore that I go to to browse the literary criticism section, the poetry section, art books, and cultural studies. They have the largest and most diverse selection of any bookstore in the area. If you know of a better bookstore I'd like to hear about it. read more

This place is without a doubt an amazing place to settle down and relax. The bookstore, bustling with visitors downstairs in the apparel section, has very calm and serene atmosphere upstairs, where the cafe and books are located. The menu at the cafe isn't shabby at all. Stanford's bookstore offers a great variety of books that would please any reader. Even better, the bookstore provides quick, reliable wifi connection, so do bring your laptops if you ever plan doing some work on your laptop. I have to agree with some of the other reviews; the apparel is overpriced. The bathroom wasn't sanitary as I would expect from Stanford. Despite this, the bookstore is still a great place to visit. read more

I am a Stanford reseracher and going to Stanford bookstore for more than 4 years. I bought both my MacBook Air, my husband's MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro from the technology center. Recently I had a very bad experience while doing a trade-in of the 2017 Mac Air 15'' in the technology center. When I was buying the MacBook Pro I was told that I can do the trade-in of my old Mac within two weeks. I did the trade-in online as suggested and brought the receipts with me. But a manager named Trey first told me that it is not possible to apply any trade-in on the existing purchase even if it is mentioned in the receipt. It was just the beginning!! Then, he agreed to do the trade-in but offered only $74 for the Mac Air 15'' which was in a very good condition and I traded-in the laptop at Apple store for $330. He offer $150 for MacBook Air 11'' which was again traded-in at Apple for $250. I am not sure from where he invented that $74 price which was not even in Stanford bookstore trade-in link. I don't expect this crazy behavior from Stanford employees. read more

The Bookstore, owned by a third party unaffiliated with the university, is a decent option if you absolutely need it. That said, everything in the bookstore can be offered at better prices elsewhere. If you're a visitor to the campus and are looking for Stanford apparel, gifts, or souvenirs, my best advice is to walk across the street to Tresidder, where you'll find the Stanford Store. The Stanford Store is owned and operated by actual Stanford students, with all profits going back to the student body. It's the smaller and friendlier place where you can get souvenirs. You can see my review of the Stanford Store here: http://www.yelp.com/user_details_reviews_self?review_filter=first&userid=XeWIIUbGwxS6YKrbddBtFw But I digress; back to the bookstore... The ground level floor is where you can find the general bookstore as well as greeting cards and magazine. The mezzanine just beneath it has office supplies. The basement beneath that has textbooks and books that students can buy for courses. If you go up a level above the ground floor, you'll find a computer store, Stanford apparel, and a cafe. Books are generally overpriced, taking advantage of students who don't have cars as well as the fact that they have a virtual monopoly on sales of books on campus. Same deal with Stanford apparel. Same deal with the computer store. The cafe, however, does have a lot of competition in the area, so they tend to keep their prices low. For almost everything, if you have a car, there are better options. And if you're a tourist, visit the Stanford Store instead. You'll rest easier knowing you're benefiting Stanford students, instead of giving your money to a faceless profiteering third party. read more

I like the layout of the store and the selection is pretty good for a campus store. The checkout line was way too long and slow though. Then the computer froze while my purchase was rung up and I was overcharged for an item that rang up higher than the price tag. read more

Customer service in the computer service center is abysmal. I left my laptop with them for a data backup. They told me they'd finish it by the end of the day, and call me when they were about to start the transfer to make sure they move the right files. Twenty four hours pass, no call. I come in the next day to see what's up. Apparently the technician had started the transfer without telling me, disassembled my laptop, and then left for the day. Not only are they doing the job late, but they're not calling me like they said they would. If you need work done on your computer I suggest you go somewhere else, where the technicians act professionally and treat their customers with respect. read more

Came to visit a friend on campus and we wanted to go to the bookstore! I love the store here. The crimson color of Stanford is actually really nice. We went to the back where the clearances were and they had sweaters for $12!! We couldn't pass up that opportunity so myself and all my friends bought one each. Can't say so much for the friendliness of the service is the same as the appeal of the store. The guy ringing me up at the register hardly said a word to me and when I said "have a good night" he barely uttered any response. read more

Big Three stories of goodies.

I live in nearby Sunnyvale & placed an order on Monday, December 18, paying for expedited shipping. It's worth the money rather than dealing with parking, and one item was big & bulky. I have received the 2 smaller items and my order status remains blank for the third item. I have now phoned 6 times, leaving messages 5 times over the last few days and then finally speaking to someone in customer service today. I was then transferred yet again to what was supposed to be a person but ended up being a recording. I realize this is a busy time of the year. I realize calls must be coming in like crazy, but I am furious. No one has the decency to send me an email or return my call about something that showed as "available" on the website. It's a good thing they can get the academics right, because their online store and customer service is horrific. read more

Cafe workers did not seem well trained and efficient.

It is a pain to get textbooks and course materials from here. The availability of used books tends to be low and they tend not to have the books until right before classes start. They don't answer their phone. Their website doesn't list everything. When I've gone to the information desk to ask about specific (non-academic) books, they have had great difficulty finding that the book exists (even when I have title, author, publication date...) and seemingly can't use their own computer system. The best part is their medical section. The bookstore location that is actually in the med school is far smaller than the med section here, which has books and supplies. The staff here tends to be very friendly and knowledgeable. read more

To get to the bookstore you have to be on foot or bike, and I want to dock them a star for the inconvenience, but exercise isn't so bad, right? I like books, and they have a lot of them, but what I really enjoy is watching the proud parents and alums stock up on Stanford mugs, car decals, and dog leashes. Every dog should have a collegiate leash, no? The magazine section is read over and well stocked...I doubt they'd care if you browsed for hours. I love my art magazines, and they have most of 'em: Juxtapoz, ArtForum, Art in America, which isn't the case with the big newsstand off University Ave. It's also a good place to have a coffee and sandwich--the Parisienne (turkey, cheese, and butter on a huge baguette) is a really good deal at $4.50. read more

Stanford University is amazing. The bookstore? Not so great. Good: coffee for 50 cents, big selection Bad: merch is really overpriced read more

Ordered, on a Tuesday, paid for a 2day shipping. No email of shipment, the phone lines are useless. Finally got a person, who confirmed that it had not been fulfilled. Received an email of fulfillment, 2 hrs later, that was on a Friday-- today is Tuesday and still no order!!! Never again! So much for my husbands Father's Day gift! read more

Was open during break and was able to pick up gifts for my family here. Had sticker shock over some items ($95 tote bags?! yikes!) but in the way back on the top floor there were some great bargains in the clearance racks. Just be careful to sort and double check all the sizes- some shirts marked as Mediums were XS and hanging on incorrect hangers in the wrong sized areas. Got a bunch of cute tshirts for around $20 each. Tons of RoseBowl merchandise in the front. Wish there were some more dog accessories :P Free parking on the weekends- park in Tressider Union parking lot at 459 Lagunita Dr and walk about 200 m across campus, by the fountain and you will be at the bookstore. There is a map right next to Tressider lot to show you where to go. Go Cards! read more

A good collection of everything for everyone - from textbooks for PhD students to clothes for small babies. If you are a Stanford fan, you can almost find everything that has a Stanford logo - shirt, t-shirt, pajamas, hat, socks, cups, decals and many many many more. The employees are quite friendly and they can help you on a waitlist if what you are looking for is currently out of stock. The store can be quite packed at times, especially during summer season when Stanford almost becomes a tourist attraction for everyone from all over the world. Be prepared to wait in the checkout line for over 30mins. The price is quite high, even with the Stanford alumni discount. I believe it must be pretty expensive to put on the Stanford logo. But hey - it's Stanford! read more

I ordered a sweatshirt online. It's been two weeks and I haven't heard anything. I've called numerous times, no answer. I've emailed, no response. I would've expected more from such a prestigious university. NEVER ORDER FROM THEIR ONLINE STORE! read more

As a Berkeley graduate, I shouldn't be giving Stanford any props, but in the case of their bookstore, I'm forced to make an exception. Stanford's bookstore is huge and, with the exception of online retailers like Amazon, the selection is about the best you'll see anywhere. I particularly enjoy reading nerdy titles from university presses, and while you're often hard pressed to find these at chain stores like Barnes and Noble, Stanford has them in abundance. If you want to get your nerd on, this is the place to do it. read more

Ever since I started my current position on campus, as well as another previous job I've had here at Stanford, I've always appreciated coming to the bookstore to find nice gifts for family and friends, make computer purchases with the academic affiliation discounts for staff, or just have a great time browsing items and while taking a break (I do have a separate review for the Bookstore Cafe, at http://www.yelp.com/biz/stanford-bookstore-cafe-stanford#hrid:bu3_C3xBb4Cqpdos1Cowsg). Quite an incredible selection, so much so that I often find myself having to go take a walk elsewhere as to not cause injury to my wallet and bank account. read more

Bookstore located in the heart of the campus. They have large selection of nerdy/academic books (after all, college bookstore) that is probably not as mainstream as in B&N. Coffee shop inside. Several places to lounge throughout. Outside, you can leisurely read your book nearby or walk over to the nearby student union for coffee or Jamba. As for apparel, I was looking for caps for kiddie and myself so they carried it there...at the student union Tressider as mentioned by another reader, you can get stuff there but I think it's geared toward adult bodies and mainly are clothing. Official college gear is pricey, but they offer an alumni member discount--good enough to cover the tax. read more

I would give zero stars if I could. I ordered Christmas presents on December 6. I received them January 13 and had to mail them to my nephew. Needless to say, I did not have a Christmas gift for my nephew. It took 5 weeks to mail out tech gloves! I got some lame email about the heavy volume of orders. Really, its Stanford. You can't mail out gloves in a timely manner. This is the absolute last time I will order anything from Stanford Bookstore. I will be sure to tell everyone I know about my experience. read more

Do I really need to say anything?? A very good university, with high quality apparel and items to showcase and sell. What can go wrong?? read more

Stanford Bookstore - Bookstores Near Me - Stanford, California

I dropped in on our annual AVID college tour. Because I already have a pennant in my classroom, I was on the hunt for something else to go with it on the wall. I found a Stanford mini foam finger that I just had to have! It wasn't expensive at all, which was great. The service was great and they did a really good job handling the 60 students with me. read more

Such a good selection of souvenir store. You can find anything from a yoga pants to a car plate.

Joined a tour which led us to this destination at the end. It turned out a pretty bad experience. Everything was so overpriced. Customer service and quality of food were well below par. Service was cold, impolite and inattentive. The obesed absent-minded blonde worker behind counter forgot to give me the croissant that I already paid. She was unhelpful, and impolite. (tried to correct my pronunciation in Croissant, so unnecessary!), no doubt she is the worst worker in the cafe. The 1/2 sandwich we ordered coupled with a small cup of soup costed $7! What a ripoff! It wasn't even good!! The $2 croissant was dry and inedible. The Odwalla juice was $3. Everything was so darn expensive! Are they targeting tourist only? If not, I feel bad for the students there. Merchandises were steep in price. It is hard to find clothes made in 100% cotton, yet with lower quality, the price can still scare you away. Guess making money is Stanford's top priority. Wait! Are they already charging tuition $51k per year? I don't recommend this book store to any tourists. Undoubtedly they are selling the brand. Stay away unless you like to be swindled. read more

This was my experience in picking up rental PhD robes, a service run by the bookstore and Herff Jones: Early May: Pre-order robes online, correctly enter the name of my program Mid-May: Get an email from the bookstore saying that my order is ready and should be picked up ASAP. Mid-May: I go in, and after speaking to three different employees, reached a customer service attendant who was familiar with the issue, and unapologetically said that I should have known to ignore that message and not come in until about a week before graduation. June 3: I come back and encounter a ~70 person line. I leave to make it to a subsequent appointment. June 8: I come back and encounter a ~30 person line. I'm optimistic, but they seem to be having trouble with nearly every single order. About 40 minutes later, I get my robes. My name and order number are visible through the sealed package, so I assume that these are the robes that I need. June 12: Graduation. I arrive at my program's graduation to discover that I was given robes of the wrong color (lining color--varies discipline). I am allowed to walk, but stand out strangely on stage. read more

this review is for the website: i ordered rose bowl items on 12/28 for next day delivery..they arrived on 1/4. so i emailed "customer service" asking for a refund three days ago and still haven't received a response. i sort of assumed the stanford bookstore might get the whole e-commerce thing...i mean surely someone associated with stanford is familiar with the internet?! read more

I like coming here to pass some time browsing the books, and they have a nice selection of Stanford apparel and gifts. They frequently have a big bin of books for under $5, which is nice. My biggest complaint is that their clothes have a very weird fit for the most part. Several shirts my fiance has gotten me from here didn't fit well at all and had to be returned. He has also had issues with the necks on t-shirts here being too small. I've found that the apparel from The Stanford Store in the Stanford Shopping Center fits much better. The staff could use a little less attitude too. read more

Unlike my old college bookstore, which carried mainly text books and school supplies, the Stanford Bookstore has something for everyone! I've purchased books for my young kids from their extensive children's book section. I've also found page-turners for me just across the aisle. There is also an extensive Stanford apparel department where it's possible to pick up branded gear for everyone in your life including your dog. The staff is knowledgeable and pleasant. Enjoy a latte at the bookstore's cafe while you peruse your purchases. This place makes a decent panini too! read more

Had to take a very long trip to return a text book, and according to my receipt I had 30 days. A lady in her sixties with blonde white hair refused to take back the book and said the policy was different. I was never given this info and the guy at the register when I bought it said nothing. I read every word on my receipt and these were completely different rules. She was extremely cold and unhelpful. So glad I can buy 95% of my books online for a third the price and don't have to deal with these random rules and the nonexistent customer service. read more

This place is extremely, extremely overpriced. I mostly just despise the fact that I lost over hundreds of dollars on their overpriced textbooks as a college student here before I realized that torrenting electronic copies online for free or buying cheap used versions on amazon was a much better deal. Like, seriously? Making money off of poor college students? Tsk tsk. Only benefit is the cafe upstairs which can be a nice place to sit down and do work. But please, don't buy stuff here unless you're rich and money is not an issue. read more

I attended Stanford between 2004-2007 and my sister is a current sophomore at Stanford. The bookstore is an incredibly difficult bureaucracy to deal with and oftentimes employee incompetence has created a whirlwind of a headache for the both of us. Because a bookstore employee could not accurately keep information for my card, my sister has had been harassed by a collection agency. Furthermore, the inability to communicate the issue accurately to neither my sister nor myself has caused insufferable frustration and anguish that shouldn't have been necessary. Besides that, the bookstore charges inordinately high process for both merchandise and their textbooks. I will never buy from them again, I would highly recommend going to another place, and I hope they learn that there are more constructive ways to do this. Way to alienate your people. read more

The 1 star rating is way too good for me to give. If Amazon.com operates like Stanford Bookstore's website, Amazon would be out of business long time ago. Stanford Bookstore's website seems to be an arrogant bunch with an attitude: we are Stanford and we do as we please, what else do you want to know? My saga with Stanford Bookstore's website started on 12/28/2015 and events as follows: -12/28/15: Ordered 2 baseball caps for $70, plus shipping and tax. -12/31/15: Stanford notified me by email that 1 cap was not available. I immediately cancelled the entire order, within 30 minutes, on the same date. -1/11/16: 12 days later, Stanford shipped me a partial order (1 cap) anyway, totally ignoring my cancellation. And promptly charged my credit card. -2/9/16: I emailed Stanford to request a Return Material Authorization (RMA). Amanda McCall, the Order Manager, finally returned my email and promised to email me the RMA right away. -2/15/16 and on: No RMA was sent out by Stanford, despite my follow-up emails and phone call to Amanda McCall. No phone call was ever returned. I am a parent and relative to 4 Stanford alumni, just imagine what could happen to others. Even my final threats to go higher up at the university or to request my credit card company to dispute the charges have absolutely no effect on these guys...... read more

Why is the Stanford Bookstore so overpriced? The prices for textbooks are just ridiculous. Also, today I biked from Mountain View to pick up a book that the Stanford Bookstore website said they carried, only to hear a disgruntled employee tell me that "the online store is not an accurate representation of the actual store." Ridonculous. read more

Typical overpriced college campus bookstore with books on the ground floor and clothing/computers on the second floor. There is also a built-in cafe with restrooms (second floor). Cute Hello Kitty and Snoopy apparel too, and a great kids selection amongst the sea of red. read more