Barnes & Noble Weighs Its E-Reader Investment

[hughes]

B&N's division responsible for Nook and ebooks is losing increasingly more money and will miss its fiscal 2013 sales projections.

A person familiar with Barnes & Nobles’s strategy acknowledged that this quarter, which includes holiday sales, has caused executives to realize the company must move away from its program to engineer and build its own devices and focus more on licensing its content to other device makers.

[markbot]

also.

DID BARNES & NOBLE JUST KILL OFF NOOK?

This is hardly a surprise. Strategically, it made little sense. They simply couldn't win playing Amazon's game. How could they win against global giants Amazon, Apple, Google, Sony, Samsung, Microsoft, Dell, HP, etc.

If ebooks take off (they did), they are screwed because of the declining B&M business. There just isn't that much synergy with the stores. If the Nook didn't take off, they'd also be screwed. The publishers colluded and this kept Nook afloat for a while since it prevented Amazon from undercutting them on price, but now Amazon is unleashed.

[fjtorres]

The sky is falling? Nope.
The breakup is a long overdue good thing. Last summer would've been better.
But, even in the worst case:

The future for B&N looks mighty grim. Without Nook, it will probably become private equity fodder, to be chopped up and pared down ruthlessly and quickly. The mighty empire that crushed hundreds of independent book stores will be outlived by the most tenacious indie shops still clinging to life.

...we'll survive.
Might even be good for indies.

[AnemicOak]

Barnes & Noble to Evaluate Sale of Retail Business - B&N Press Release


Riggio's filing with the SEC

On February 25, 2013, Mr. Riggio notified the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) he plans to propose to purchase all of the assets of the retail business of the Company. The retail business would include, among other things, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc. and barnesandnoble.com; and would exclude NOOK Media LLC (comprising the digital and College businesses). Mr. Riggio plans to make the proposal in order to facilitate the Company’s evaluation of its previously announced review of strategic options for the separation of its investment in NOOK Media LLC. The purchase price would be negotiated with the Board (and/or any committee thereof that would review and negotiate the proposal) and its advisors. The purchase price is currently contemplated to be comprised primarily of cash consideration and the assumption of certain liabilities of the Company. Mr. Riggio would provide the equity financing for the transaction and undertake to arrange any debt financing required for the transaction.

[GlenBarrington]

I think the nook is toast. . .

http://www.latimes.com/business/mone...,2746778.story

[kevinp]

More than likely. I'm hoping someone buys the Nook part of the business and finally does something with it to make it competitive. Either way, I still love my HD+ and am still glad I bought it. Most of my stuff is sideloaded anyway.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by kevinp

More than likely. I'm hoping someone buys the Nook part of the business and finally does something with it to make it competitive. Either way, I still love my HD+ and am still glad I bought it. Most of my stuff is sideloaded anyway.

This.
Apache

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by kevinp

More than likely. I'm hoping someone buys the Nook part of the business and finally does something with it to make it competitive. Either way, I still love my HD+ and am still glad I bought it. Most of my stuff is sideloaded anyway.

Oddly enough, the spinoff *could* spinoff the hardware business and it might be viable since the thing supports ADEPT DRM.

One itsy-bitsy problem: The device prices would have to go up.

Remember, Nooks sell at near cost. (And the STR very likely sells for well below cost.)

Would people still buy Nooks if they were sold above cost? Say at Sony or slightly higher prices? (STR at $129, Glo at $149. NookHD+ at $329. Just examples.)

I'm an optimist and think they would, *if* they were configured and sold as Android tablets rather that solely as ereaders.

[taosaur]

I'm kind of surprised they made it as far as a third generation of tablets. When I bought the Nook Color, I knew I was basically taking advantage of their business plan to score some nice hardware on the cheap (specifically, the best screen in that size and price range). The Nook HD+ gave me the opportunity to do it again, though this time I'm actually supporting B&N a bit with magazine purchases--the native magazine reader is oustanding and the form factor is about perfect.

I am hoping they get around to another gen of front-lit eInk running Android.

[charmian]

Re: would people buy Nooks if they cost more.

The tablets, probably not. The e-ink readers, maybe, but STR can't go all the way up to $129 after being at $79. There's also Kobo to consider. There is definitely an audience of people who do want an e-ink reader that can install Android apps freely, but is it a large one?

[DreamWriter]

Originally Posted by kevinp

I'm hoping someone buys the Nook part of the business and finally does something with it to make it competitive.

Me too!

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by kevinp

More than likely. I'm hoping someone buys the Nook part of the business and finally does something with it to make it competitive.

Anyone in mind? WalMart? Microsoft?

[taustin]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Anyone in mind? WalMart? Microsoft?

Microsoft already owns a pretty big chunk of it, don't they?

[Kali Yuga]

Since Microsoft already invested $300 million, I'd assume they will get a big stake in a dedicated Nook business.

And the Nook displays at B&N's will be smaller.

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by markbot

This is hardly a surprise. Strategically, it made little sense. They simply couldn't win playing Amazon's game. How could they win against global giants Amazon, Apple, Google, Sony, Samsung, Microsoft, Dell, HP, etc.

Exactly, how can a company compete against players who are in the global market when they themselves are burrowed in and only selling in one country? You can't.