Well,
I'm freaking out over this, and I don't own B&N stock or a Nook.
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Originally Posted by Sao
B & N wants to go international with Nook.
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B&N has been too busy shoveling money at Nook development to "go international."
It's a huge mistake for them to even consider that move. They don't have a significant international presence or brand. International sales are expensive, complicated, and present diminishing returns. The US alone accounts for 25% of the world market; if they can't survive here, they won't survive by providing services to Sierra Leone.
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Originally Posted by Sao
wouldn't spinning Nook off into its own company raise its value and perhaps help them to gain the capital they need for that expensive enterprise?
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Splitting off the Nook is basically a death sentence for the brick and mortar division.
As people buy more and more ebooks, the physical bookstores lose sales, and can't keep stores open. Fewer stores mean lower sales, less shelf space, and less association of "buy books" with getting into the car, driving to the mall and browsing for a physical object. CD sales were probably around 25% of the market around the time that the record store chains died. (afaik physical CD sales are still close to 50% of the market, though it could be less - figures for 2011 should be out soon)
B&N will survive as a shadow of its former self -- as a bit player in the digital market, and perhaps running college bookstores. Maybe.