Blockbuster vs. iTunes/Netflix…now Barnes & Noble vs. Borders:
- See “Digital Divide Propels Barnes & Noble Past Rival” — from NPR by Lynn Neary
The digital divide has created a chasm between the nation’s two biggest bookstore chains: While Borders is trying to hold off bankruptcy, Barnes & Noble announced Thursday its best holiday sales season in more than a decade.
“Thrilled” was the word Barnes & Noble Chief Financial Officer Joseph Lombardi used to describe the mood at his company. Holiday sales at BarnesAndNoble.com were up 78 percent over last year; store sales increased by almost 10 percent. While sales of hardcover books were better than expected, Lombardi made it clear that Barnes & Noble’s popular e-readers, the Nook and the Nook Color, were behind the good news.