Barnes & Noble has a fully operational multi-channel business – with retail locations from coast-to-coast and an online subsidiary, Barnes & Noble.com.  In addition to innovations in retailing, Barnes & Noble has also expanded its approach to bookselling and the products it offers through its self-publishing program.

Retail Stores
Barnes & Noble stores average 25,000 square feet and carry up to 200,000 titles. Our stores feature the best service, depth of selection and comfortable settings, including lounge chairs and reading tables.  Open seven days a week, the stores also carry wide selections of music, DVD/video titles and magazines. 

Internet
Barnes & Noble’s online channel, Barnes & Noble.com, offers the largest in-stock selection of in-print book titles with access to approximately one million titles for immediate delivery, supplemented by more than 30 million listings from its nationwide network of out-of-print, rare and used book dealers. Barnes & Noble.com offers its customers fast delivery, easy and secure ordering, and rich editorial content.

Publishing
One of the most exciting developments has been the growth of our own publishing program, which offers books not found elsewhere at prices not matched anywhere.  For example, the Barnes & Noble Classics line brings back great literary classics, some selling for as low as $3.95.  The series, developed with children and the educational community in mind, has been an enormous success.

With the addition of Sterling Publishing, which the company acquired in January 2003, Barnes & Noble has publishing or distribution rights to nearly 10,000 titles. For 60 years, Sterling has been one of the world's leading publishers of non-fiction books.  Sterling strives to publish high-quality books that educate, entertain and enrich the lives of our readers.  Sterling has the reach of a major publisher with the passion and creativity of an independent press.

Digital
In March 2009, Barnes & Noble acquired Fictionwise, a leader in the eBook marketplace.  Headquartered in New Jersey, Fictionwise was founded in 2000 by Steve and Scott Pendergrast.  In July 2009, Barnes & Noble launched the world's largest eBookstore as part of its overall digital strategy (now known as our NOOK Bookstore™). 

In October 2009, Barnes & Noble introduced NOOKŪ, the the first Android-based eBook Reader.  Now known as NOOK 1st Edition™, it was the first eBook Reader to feature a color touchscreen for navigation and the first to offer digital lending of a wide selection of NOOK Books™ to help customers share their joy of reading.  One year later, we launched NOOK Color™, the first full-color touch Reader’s Tablet™.  The best value on the tablet market ($249), this compact Android-based device features a best-in-class 7-inch color touch display, enhanced books featuring in-page video, interactive magazines and newspapers, and a broad assortment of popular apps.  NOOK Simple Touch™ was introduced in May 2011.  With a full touchscreen, the device features record-setting, extra-long battery life on the easiest-to-use, ultra-light, portable 6-inch eReader with the most-advanced E Ink Pearl display.  The newest addition to the NOOK family is NOOK Tablet, which was launched in November 2011.  NOOK Tablet is the company’s fastest and lightest tablet with the best in entertainment.

Barnes & Noble College Booksellers
In September 2009, Barnes & Noble, Inc. completed the acquisition of Barnes & Noble College Booksellers.  This wholly owned subsidiary operates more than 600 college bookstores on college and university campuses in 50 states, serving nearly 4 million students and more than 250,000 faculty.  As part of the transaction, Barnes & Noble, Inc., also acquired the Barnes & Noble trade name that had been owned by College and licensed to Inc.