Thursday, October 20, 2011

BN.com Now Selling More Than Just Books

Barnes & Noble is going beyond selling books on its website, BN.com. On Thursday, October 20, a representative for the largest U.S. bookstore chain announced that housewares, consumer electronics, and more will now be sold on the company's website.

screenshot from consumerist.com

I can't blame Barnes & Noble for diversifying its online offerings, considering the recent demise of Borders. Also, by offering more than just books, movies, and music, Barnes & Noble will remain competitive with Amazon, another online seller of books and seemingly everything else under the sun.

See the Chicago Tribune article below for more info on this latest development.


Chicago Tribue * October 20, 2011

Barnes & Noble Expands Beyond Books
Online retailer adding home products and consumer electronics

via Reuters

Barnes & Noble Inc. is adding home products and consumer electronics to the items available on its online marketplace, the latest move by the retailer to rely less on book sales and fend off e-commerce rivals like Amazon.com Inc and eBay Inc.

Barnes & Noble, the largest U.S. bookstore chain, has largely focused on books for its marketplace. Members will now also be able to buy and sell items like rugs, cooking items and children's games, the company said Thursday.

The retailer has struggled with declining book sales for years, but its online sales, helped by its Nook e-reader and digital books, have soared.

Sales on its bn.com rose 36.9 percent to $198 million in its most recent quarter and now account for 14 percent of overall sales.

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