Barnes & Noble is the largest bookseller in the United States.It has over 1000 bookstores. Its chain of stores reaches 49 states, and the number of stores is increasing monthly. The superstores, such as the famouse Barnes and Noble in New York, are a big success, but the smaller bookstores such as B. Dalton Booksellers are losing profit. The superstores have more than just hundreds of thousands of books that attract many customers. They also have small restaurants, entertainment, and newer video and audio selections.

Barnes and Noble was bought in 1971, by Leonard Riggio, and it was converted from a money losing business to a successful one. Riggio began selling books in 1965, when he opened a small college bookstore. After acquiring Barnes & Noble, Riggio began to use many marketing techniques, such as mail order, and he turned Barnes & Noble Bookstores around. Riggio added software and audio selections to his bookstores, and profits kept increasing, although he was still in debt. Barnes and Noble then tried to go public in 1992, but they could not, because of the large $508 million debt on their hands. Then, after pulling themselves out of the debt in 1993, they attempted again, and succeeded.

NYSE symbol: BKS