Barnes & Noble Adds “Banned Books” Section to Stores, Website

Barnes & Noble (New York) is seizing upon controversy for its latest merchandising gambit, adding a “banned books” section to some stores as well as its website, Retail Wire writes.

The included books, at one time or another, faced censorship on moral, religious or political grounds. At the bookseller’s store in Erie, PA, the “banned books” table features works that have been restricted by schools and libraries, though not necessarily by institutions local to the store.

Books on the table, per YourErie.com, include “A Light in the Attic” by Shel Silverstein, “Animal Farm” by George Orwell, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J. K. Rowling, and “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Barnes & Noble defines banned books as:

“Books were being banned in countries across the world long before the first public libraries appeared in parts of America. Typically, books were banned on moral, religious, or political grounds. They were believed to be obscene or too controversial to be read by society. Although we usually think of classics like George Orwell’s 1984 when referring to books that were banned, there are still many books being challenged and censored every year. Books that explore race, sexuality, and new concepts and ideas are still often prohibited by certain communities, although they can easily be purchased in most bookstores”

Nicola Kinsella, SVP Global Marketing of Fluent Commerce, commented on Retail Wire’s article to applaud the bookseller’s opportunism.

“It’s a great marketing move by B&N. The controversy is good publicity for the brand. And B&N knows its target market. There will be those who will buy them just because they are banned. Others who will want to have an educated opinion on the bans – based on first hand reading of the material. And others will want to read them to gather evidence for why they should be banned. In short, this will absolutely drive sales.”

Read more at Retail Wire.