July 20, 2005
Dr. Lavelle Mills
MGMT 3330
Barnes & Noble
The publicly traded company I have chosen for my web project is Barnes & Noble. It is a Fortune 500 Company and is the world's largest retailer of books. It operates 821 stores in 50 different states and serves over 200 countries worldwide (For Investors).
The Original Barnes & Noble
Charles M. Barnes started it in 1873 when he opened a bookstore, which he ran out of his home in Wheaton, Illinois. In 1917, his son, William, went to New York where he partnered with G. Clifford Noble to create Barnes & Noble. The flagship store was opened in New York City during the height of the Great Depression and it remains there today. This flagship store helped Barnes & Noble to establish a worldwide reputation for excellence. It served millions of customers with its comprehensive selection of books ranging from general trade books to textbooks, including academic and medical books (Barnes & Noble History).
Acquisition & Expansion by Leonard Riggio
In 1970, Leonard Riggio acquired the rights to Barnes & Noble's trade name and flagship bookstore in New York City. It continued to expand with each passing era through the 1970's and 1980's. Through these years Barnes & Noble experimented with different store formats and sizes seeking to develop a book "Superstore." In 1987, the company made its largest acquisition when it purchased B. Dalton Bookseller, which consisted of 797 retail bookstores. This acquisition thrust Barnes & Noble onto the national scene, making it the second-largest bookseller in America (Barnes & Noble History).
The Book Superstore
In the early 1990's Barnes & Noble was a pioneer in the concept of the book "Superstore," Barnes & Noble superstores ...