According to statistics, the average American reads 38.5 minutes per day. Of these, at least five accounts for book production, purchased in Barnes and Noble locations. For U.S. retail bookselling in B & N - is the same as McDonald's for fast food. Among the company's assets are some 900 bookshops across America, online sales of books, as well as GameStop - the nation's largest retailer of computer and video games. But before becoming a super giant, the company has learned a key principle: it is necessary to make the mass consumer is not simply bought the book, but voluntarily agreed to give a part of his life, his precious leisure time.

Barnes & Noble is known not only as an extensive network of bookstores, well known in the United States. Company, including those engaged in publishing activities. Now in its activities the opportunity that is absolutely logical to publish electronic books and readers to expand the market by creating their own device for reading.

The company started its publishing activities in the early 80's, the last century. There were books, which were sold in more than 250 thousand copies, and reprint «The Columbia History of the World» - was sold more than 1 million copies! Since 1992, the company Barnes & Noble publishes a series of children's literary classics «Barnes & Noble Classics Collection».

For several years, Ridge (B&N owner) has made a coup. By mid-1970 a shop on the corner of Fifth Avenue has become the largest bookstore in the world / 150 000 items. For five years, the assortment of goods increased by eight times and the volume of sales - 10 times. New Barnes and Noble locations were opened first in New York, then in other major cities, and later in the suburbs.

Barnes & Noble owner tried to create a special atmosphere of his stores, which distinguishes them from conventional outlets. This happened because he had invented the concept megastore - book supermarket, organized as a venue for leisure activities: a cafe, nursery, gifts and toys section / later - with a section of audio and video.

Capacious, resembling the library halls / 10 000 - 60 000 square feet / have become hangouts for Americans hangout: they could communicate with friends or, conversely, to sit in silence, with the comfort of a cup of coffee and pastries. Parents brought children in Barnes and Noble locations to watch picture books and the students prepared lessons here.

Huge assortment was very democratic. Ridge was to promote the production of small, independent and university publishers: in stores Barnes & Noble people were able to buy books that are not sold elsewhere. The new owner of B & N at all staked to work with publishers rather than wholesalers.

In late 2009, the company Barnes & Noble launches its first device for reading electronic books «Barnes & Noble Nook».

The market saturation is not the only circumstance complicating Barnes & Noble situation. So far, it worked flawlessly main strategies: to crush with sizes, aggressively cutting prices, buy other players in the market and for further to scatter Barnes and Noble locations.