Product quality and safety is a priority for Barnes & Noble, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates1. (“Barnes & Noble” or “B&N”) and, as new and complex safety standards emerge, we count on our suppliers, manufacturers, and other vendors (collectively, “Vendors”) to provide products that meet or exceed all applicable safety requirements.
Barnes & Noble requires all Vendors to stand fully behind their products. Many of the products produced and sold by Barnes & Noble are regulated by federal, state, and local laws and other industry guidelines and standards. Regulations and standards change over time and as such, Vendors must maintain knowledge of and comply with all safety standards for their products.
B&N has developed the B&N Compliance Verification Program to ensure that Vendors are supplying or manufacturing high quality, safe products to our customers. To that extent, Vendors who manufacture or supply proprietary products or products for which B&N is the Importer of Record (Direct Imports) are subject to the following:
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Factory Compliance Verification
Factories which Vendors have engaged to produce proprietary or Direct Import products must verify compliance with Social Responsibility and Security (Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism “CTPAT”) requirements. -
Product Compliance Verification
Vendors producing proprietary or Direct Import product which are subject to US federal, state or industry laws, rules or standards must submit products or documentation to the B&N selected Service Provider for safety or compliance testing to verify compliance. - Details of the Compliance Verification Program are only accessible to B&N Vendors of Record and can be found in the B&N Vendor Operational Guidelines (link)
Vendors are responsible for ensuring that products manufactured for or supplied to B&N comply with all applicable laws, standards, or rules.
All costs associated with the removal of a Vendor’s products from Barnes & Noble stores or distribution centers in violation of these requirements or any other product compliance remediation, will be at the cost of the Vendor. Barnes & Noble reserves the right to assess doing business with any Vendor who does not comply with these requirements.
Please see below for requirements for certain products. This is not an exhaustive list of requirements.