Barnes & Noble is the world's largest bookseller and describes itself as
the only bookseller with a fully operational multi-channel strategy -- with retail locations from coast-to-coast and an online subsidiary, Barnes&Noble.com. In addition to innovations in retailing, Barnes & Noble has also expanded its approach to bookselling and the products it offers through its self-publishing program (1, 1).
The purpose of this report is to present an internal analysis of this publicly held company, identifying the factors that have contributed to the development of competitive advantage and long-term company success. Exploration of core competencies and the company's value chain, as well as its resources (via the VIRO framework), and questions of alignment will be included in this study.
Barnes & Noble has three primary business units. According to the company, its retail stores include not only flagship Barnes & Noble businesses but also B. Dalton Bookseller, Doubleday, Bookstop, and Bookstar stores that are regional mall-based entities focusing on the mainstream consumer book market (Barnes & Noble, 1, 1). The company's online channel, Barnes&noble.com, "offers the largest in-stock selection of in-print book titles with access to approximately titles for immediate delivery, supplemented by more than 30 million listings from its nationwide network of out-of-profit, used book dealers (Barnes & Noble, 1, 1).
The third prong of the company's business is publishing. According to Barnes & Noble (1, 1), the publishing program offers inexpensive versions of great literary classics and includes the acquisition of Sterling Publishing which gives the firm publishing and distribution rights to nearly 10,000 and an annual release of 1,100 new titles. Additionally, expansion into publishing was a "natural" movement for an established bookseller with extensive knowledge of market interests and trends; the organization itself was w...