Barnes & Noble Targeting College Book Stores

Barnes & Noble (New York) will expand its chain of physical stores by targeting colleges and universities, according to Reuters News Service. Barnes & Noble, which began as a college book store in 1965, is proposing the outsourcing of store operations to higher education institutions. The company hopes its more upscale, higher-grossing model will drive institutions to turn over to Barnes & Noble their own operations as well as those currently run by rival Follett Corp. (Westchester, Ill.), which operates 940 college stores.

Max Roberts, chief executive of Barnes & Noble’s college business, told Reuters News Service that the company will leverage its retail prowess and its ability to offer large-scale textbook rental programs. Under Roberts’ plan, colleges and universities would receive a percentage of sales, rather than rent. Roberts envisions a line of campus “superstores,” about 30,000 square feet each, marketing to nearby communities as well as students.