Barnes and Noble

Mission Statement: To operate the best specialty retail business in

America, regardless of the product we sell. Because the product we
sell is books, our aspirations must be consistent with the promise and
the ideals of the volumes which line the shelves.

   
Target Customers: Mostly American readers. Their Ebookstore has
expanded their business worldwide.

Market Position: B&N is the nation's top bookseller brand for    

the seventh year in a row, and is rated number two in trust among all
retailers for the second year in a row, according to the EquiTrend
Brand Study by Harris Interactive. B&N is the second-largest retailer
of magazines in America, carrying about 5,500 magazine titles and
nearly 1,000 newspaper titles. Their wesbite’s inventory is the
“largest of any bookseller online”.

Products Offered: Products offered include books, ebooks,    

magazines, CDs, DVDs, food, etc. Included are out-of-print, rare and
used books.

Distribution.  It has been a major retailer for decades having bought    

out many competitors, and offered mail-order catalogue sales since
the 1970s. B&N has been selling direct to customers online since the
late 1980s and the B&N website was instituted in May 1997.

Pricing Strategy: B&N seems to aim for prices that are reasonable    
and market driven. In 1975 B&N became the nation’s first bookseller
to discount books by offering New York Times bestsellers at 40% off
publishers’ list prices

Pricing, Shipping Price Strategy: Members of Barnes and Noble can    

now receive unlimited free express shipping on all online orders as
well as ship-to-home orders placed at the store. They also receive
10-40% discounts on most products. Orders over $25 get free
shipping online. Customers must have an account to make
purchases.

 
Non-Product Information: In 1987, the company made its largest    
acquisition when it purchased B. Dalton Bookseller from Dayton
Hudson.  This acquisition of 797 retail bookstores thrust the company
onto the national scene, making Barnes & Noble a nationwide retailer
overnight and the second-largest bookseller in America.  The
company also acquired Doubleday Book Shops from the
Bertelsmann Company and the rights to the Scribner’s bookstore
trade name from Macmillan.  To further evolve its superstore
strategy, Barnes & Noble purchased BookStop, a company operating
discount book superstores in Texas, in 1989.  The company has
made two acquisitions that expanded its publishing capability.  In
2001, Barnes & Noble purchased SparkNotes.com, a leading study
aids website, offering free online access to literature notes and more
than 1,000 study guides on everything from literature to chemistry to
computer science. SparkNotes converted its top study guides into
print publications, and they have rapidly become bestsellers.
In 2003, Barnes & Noble purchased Sterling Publishing. 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.

Customer Feedback: B&N's critics claim that it has contributed to the    

decline of local and independent booksellers

Was it a Fun Site to Visit?: It was quite user-friendly. I personally  

dislike having to become a registered