Barnes & Noble Inc

Black Friday Isn’t What It Used to Be

Big discounts, many of them online only, start appearing well before Thanksgiving and will run long after. Some people still go to the mall, though.

As the bookstore chain mounts a comeback, it’s breaking a cardinal rule of corporate branding and store design: consistency.

Rock-bottom rates were the secret engine fueling $1 billion start-ups and virtual attempts to conquer the physical world. But in 2023, reality bites.

Rock-bottom rates were the secret engine fueling $1 billion start-ups and virtual attempts to conquer the physical world. But in 2023, reality bites.

To independent booksellers, the enormous chain was once a threat. Now it’s vital to their survival. And it’s doing well.