Barnes and Noble Strategic Audit
Strategic Analysis: Barnes & Noble
Executive Summary
Barnes & Noble is a key player in the Book Retail Industry. This mature industry has been experiencing slow growth over the last several years, much slower than overall retail sales. Barriers to entry into this industry are quite high, and suppliers have modest influence over booksellers. The introduction of the Internet has brought about many changes to this industry. It has increased rivalry, buyer power, and substitutes. Spending time "surfing the net" is one of many substitutes to reading books nowadays. Other technological advances, such as VCR 's and video games, have replaced time otherwise spent reading. Buyers have greater influence over the industry, because they have more buying options and faster price comparison ability.
In order to remain competitive in the market, it is necessary to not only understand the book industry as a whole, but to know what your competitors objectives are in the market. Two of Barnes & Noble 's largest competitors are Borders Group, Inc. and Amazon.com, whose strategies are profiled in the paper.
Barnes & Noble is the largest bookstore chain in the world. In 1997, they expanded their services to customers by launching their bn.com website. Barnes & Noble 's brand name has superior brand recognition, which is a key factor in attracting customers to both their brick and mortar stores and their website. The Company leads book retailing with a "community store" concept that offers a comprehensive title base, a café, a children 's section, a music department and ongoing events, such as author appearances and children 's activities.
Barnes & Noble 's current strategy is to increase its share of the consumer book market, as well as to increase the size of the market. In order to do this, the brick and mortar stores will continue to maintain close proximity to their customers. Visibility, access, parking, and high traffic areas are among the
Executive Summary
Barnes & Noble is a key player in the Book Retail Industry. This mature industry has been experiencing slow growth over the last several years, much slower than overall retail sales. Barriers to entry into this industry are quite high, and suppliers have modest influence over booksellers. The introduction of the Internet has brought about many changes to this industry. It has increased rivalry, buyer power, and substitutes. Spending time "surfing the net" is one of many substitutes to reading books nowadays. Other technological advances, such as VCR 's and video games, have replaced time otherwise spent reading. Buyers have greater influence over the industry, because they have more buying options and faster price comparison ability.
In order to remain competitive in the market, it is necessary to not only understand the book industry as a whole, but to know what your competitors objectives are in the market. Two of Barnes & Noble 's largest competitors are Borders Group, Inc. and Amazon.com, whose strategies are profiled in the paper.
Barnes & Noble is the largest bookstore chain in the world. In 1997, they expanded their services to customers by launching their bn.com website. Barnes & Noble 's brand name has superior brand recognition, which is a key factor in attracting customers to both their brick and mortar stores and their website. The Company leads book retailing with a "community store" concept that offers a comprehensive title base, a café, a children 's section, a music department and ongoing events, such as author appearances and children 's activities.
Barnes & Noble 's current strategy is to increase its share of the consumer book market, as well as to increase the size of the market. In order to do this, the brick and mortar stores will continue to maintain close proximity to their customers. Visibility, access, parking, and high traffic areas are among the