Barnes & Noble Research

Introduction

The world of books is amazing, and the world couldn’t have had a better bookstore than Barnes & Noble. Books can be many things, whether they be adventurous, magical, fiction, mystery, humor, and many more! William Barnes and Gilbert Clifford Noble created a legacy to remember. Not to mention that Barnes & Noble are the biggest operating chain of bookstores in the U.S. William and Gilbert first met when William’s father, Charles Montgomery Barnes, began in the book industry. That sparked the business between William Barnes and G. Clifford Noble. In accordance to a text, “For the fiscal year ending in January 1999, Barnes and Noble Inc. saw its sales increase 81 percent, from $14.6 million to $70.2 million; it also developed an in-stock inventory of 750,000 titles ready for immediate delivery” (Reference For Business). Barnes & Noble was growing, all with the help of Leonard Riggio. Based on all the information, it’s safe to say that Barnes & Noble will continue to grow exponentially over the years.

Early Life

The Barnes business started in the late 1800’s, when Charles Barnes started a book business in his home. Charles’s business didn’t go as planned. Carrying the family legacy, his son William Barnes caught interest in the bookstore Noble & Noble in New York. Partnering with Gilbert Noble, the store was later renamed to Barnes & Noble. They kept selling the books, but didn’t have as many customers as expected. They needed something fresh, something new, but didn’t have that. The store was at its darkest hour. Eventually it got so bad that Clifford quit the business for good. Barnes now ran the store alone. He then lost interest in the store, to his dismay. His son took over the store not long after. He was unsuccessful, as the store was sold to the company Amtel. Years later, the company was losing income quickly, and was falling apart. Like a miracle, a man called Leonard Riggio was interested in the store, and intended to buy it. He was the store’s savior, and planned to do what the original owners couldn’t. Make a world of books in a store that anyone can enjoy, and relax in. However, his talent was not gained naturally, he worked hard to harness it.

Beginning of Career

Leonard Riggio started his book store business in the 1960’s. He was too poor to attend any college full-time, so he worked as a clerk in the New York University bookstore. The store he bought, Barnes & Noble, was $750,000 from the company that previously owned it, Amtel. Riggio made the book store better by making the customer’s most wanted books to be in the store so people visiting can read them. Selling books was a hard feat for a normal person, but not for Riggio. He advertised the store, using slogans like “If you paid full price, you didn’t get it at Barnes & Noble” (Leonard Riggio). He learned that if you put words right, they can spark something big. And his slogans brought in people and he even bought B. Dalton, a chain of eight hundred bookstores. This made Leonard Riggio the biggest book retailer in the country. Riggio saw Barnes & Noble as more than just a store, but a chance for people to socialize. He envisioned the stores as “gathering places where customers could linger and mingle” (Leonard Riggio). This eventually came true, as he served Starbucks coffee and established sofas around the stores not long after. Riggio wanted to build a brand out of the store, and it was coming true. His efforts paid off quickly. Barnes & Noble was on its way to fame, and was growing exponentially. No store has been as successful as Barnes & Noble, and all because of one man who was interested in the business.

Works Cited

“Barnes & Noble History Timeline.” Zippia: The Career Expert,  www.zippia.com/barnes-noble-careers-1337/history/.  Accessed 2 Dec. 2021.

“Barnes & Noble, Inc. - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Barnes & Noble, Inc.” Reference For Business. www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/60/Barnes-Noble-Inc.html.  Accessed 5 Nov. 2021.

“History.” Barnes & Noble, www.barnesandnobleinc.com/about-bn/history/. Accessed 19 Nov. 2021

“Leonard Riggio.” Entrepreneur, www.entrepreneur.com/article/197686. Accessed 1 Dec. 2021.