It's good that B&N is continuing to push technical capabilities. The "glow" Nook is an excellent example of that.
That said, this concept is pretty much Fail.
Why? Because I can already walk into a B&N, scan the barcode, and get pricing and reviews. That is, using Amazon's Price Check mobile app.
Moreover, this is not a lifeline for the stores; if the actual store can't make the sale, the store can't stay open. It becomes a huge cost for B&N, that competitors like Amazon, Apple and Kobo don't have to maintain (and can leverage anyway, as long as B&N keeps its stores open).
Hopefully, B&N will come up with something more useful in the near future.