[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

B&N does not have unlimited capital, credit, or internal resources to expand every element of its business at once. Given a choice between emphasizing "education" or "international," the latter is a much smarter move.

I think you meant former

Nothing is guaranteed, but IMO international expansion is, when compared to education and other domestic markets a) much less likely to produce higher returns, b) doesn't leverage their existing assets and connections, c) requires a much higher investment. I.e. it carries more risks with no guarantee of larger returns.