Holiday sales at Books-a-Million totaled $122.1 million for the nine-week period, down 4.5 percent overall, and down 6.2 percent on a same-store basis. For 11 months of their fiscal year, total sales are down 1 percent at $473.6 million, with comp sales declining 3.7 percent. CEO Clyde Anderson noted that “as was the case last year, customers shopped late in the season and proved to be value conscious responding well to our marketing efforts, bargain book department and in-store promotions.”Release
Bookstores
Borders Springs a Deal with Alex Reader
Borders ebookstore–powered by Kobo–has reached an agreement “in principle” to partner with Spring Design’s nook-alike Alex ereader. While it makes perfect sense–after all, Alex can’t use BN.com as their store partner like so many other readers while they are suing them–it’s an opportunistic victory for Borders as they play ereading catch-up on a limited budget. Reuters adds, “the Alex e-reader will give the borders.com e-book site top billing, featuring it on its initial screen, a Borders spokeswoman told Reuters, though shoppers will be able to buy and read books from other sources on their Alex e-reader.“ Though they did not […]
Barnes & Noble Holiday Comps Down 5.4%; Earnings Guidance Reduced
The nine-week holiday selling period at Barnes & Noble was another rough one, with same-store sales down 5.4 percent at $1.1 billion (and bear in mind that the comps a year ago were down 7 percent from 2007). Sales at BN.com rose 17 percent however, at $134 million, in large part because of nook revenues recognized in that period. (BN.com had sales of $114 million in the same period a year ago. When the company reported second quarter earnings in late November, BN.com was up 9 percent for the period. So figure that recognized nook revenues are roughly between $10 […]
Bookselling: Revolution Books "In Peril"
The New York City story is having a benefit this Friday night, featuring Wally Shawn, as part of their drive to raise $100,000 to keep the store “open and thriving.”Revolution home page
Simon & Schusters Cuts Field Reps, Launches Telemarketing Group
Due to “the changing nature of the market place,” Simon & Schuster is reducing and reorganizing its staff of field sales reps, eliminating nine salespeople and leaving a new structure of just seven field reps: John Muse (MA, CT, RI and parts of NY); Tim Hepp (parts of PA, NJ, VA, MD and Washington, DC); Leah Hays (IL, OH, WI, MN); Michael Smith (Hastings, other select retailers); Amy Schoppert (WA, OR, CO); Kelly Stidham (CA, AZ); Laura Webb (LA, SF, UT). They will work under director, field sales, Michael Croy. Sales and marketing evp Michael Selleck says the “new field […]
Borders UK Online Assets Are Sold
The Capital Organisation, an investment group, has purchased the defunct Borders UK’s online operation and a database of over a million customers for an undisclosed price, the Bookseller reports. Operating under the less tarnished Books etc brand (a part of Borders UK), the buyer “is thought to be planning to merge the website with two other retail sites it already owns – goodmusic.co.uk and sellstudentstuff.com.”