Scholastic has been a staple at schools for over a century with its stable of educational publications, and it’s now waiting for the way it sells online by naming its first chief digital officer.
The corporate, founded by a Pennsylvania publisher in 1920, has also made an imprint on popular culture outside of faculty with popular children’s titles like Clifford the Big Red Dog and The Baby-Sitters Club. Still, like all publishers, Scholastic Corporation has needed to adapt to the digital world.
Scholastic ranks No. 100 within the Top 1000. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s rating of the biggest North American online retailers. There, Digital Commerce 360 categorizes it as a Specialty retailer. Digital Commerce 360 projects Scholastic’s online sales in 2024 will reach $934.50 million.
Scholastic web sales by 12 months
Scholastic’s first chief digital officer: Stacey Jaffe
Stacey Jaffe, chief digital officer at Scholastic | Image credit: Scholastic
The corporate is now taking one other step within the digital direction by making a chief digital officer position, which will likely be filled by company veteran Stacey Jaffe. Jaffe has been at Scholastic since 2018, serving as senior vice chairman of knowledge and digital strategy, overseeing data and analytics in addition to digital marketing and ecommerce, product, and UX/UI. She’s going to retain those portfolios. Before Scholastic, Jaffe headed up the digital efforts of Teach for America.
Jaffe will report on to Peter Warnick, president and chief executive officer at Scholastic.
“Here’s an important example of how Scholastic can construct its leadership and capabilities from inside, acknowledging impressive achievements reminiscent of Stacey’s in her area of digital expertise,” Warnick said.
Jaffe’s background
Jaffe, meanwhile, credited Scholastic with fostering her love of reading when she was a baby and hopes to use digital technology to do the identical for a brand new generation.
“My journey as an avid reader began with a Scholastic Book Clubs flyer in second grade once I first picked up ‘The Baby-Sitters Club,’” Jaffe said. “Since then, I actually have been enthusiastic about advocating for kids’s literacy.”
All of that has culminated in her recent capability on the publisher and retailer.
“Today, I’m thrilled to step into a job that leverages digital strategy and embraces the evolution of knowledge to fulfill the changing needs of consumers,” she said.
Significance for Scholastic
Industry watchers generally cheered Scholastic’s move.
“This move is important for Scholastic Publishing,” said Simon Wharton, founding father of ecommerce consultancy PushON. “A robust digital presence is crucial for any publisher trying to stay relevant and competitive.”
Dani Juardo, executive vice chairman of North America, sales and marketing at ecommerce platform VTEX, also praised Scholastic’s creation of Jaffe’s recent role and the way it can construct upon its existing digital footprint.
“Scholastic has the chance to seamlessly connect its publications with shoppable interfaces, add multi-vendor capabilities, and enable readers to find and buy products directly through digital channels easily,” Juardo said. “By mixing content with commerce, Scholastic can drive greater engagement and revenue through a cohesive, interactive digital experience.”
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