I wonder how likely it is for someone who has a little more sensibility and knowledge to buy this company to transform the business and get us back on track? Is there any chance of that happening? I doubt there is anyone who would like to buy BN but I'm thinking about these things while at the same time looking for a new job.
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B&N hasn't had high margins for a long long time now. If you look at the last quarter it was public, the sequential revenue change was down 39% and sequential gross profit was down 44%, while operating income was down 54% for the trailing twelve months and measured in fractions of 1%. If it hadn't been acquired it would have gone into Ch 11 pretty quick. The only reason it managed to stay public as long as it did was by cutting costs and stop the bleeding by jettisoning money losing stores and thanks to COVID, any hoped for turnaround plans by new owners and management whatever their chances just vanished completely.
If they had more sensibility and knowledge, they wouldn't buy B&N. COVID forced many large retailers to advance their omnichannel efforts in order to succeed. Those who could not, or did not pivot lost valuable market share. As the pandemic continues, it's more challenging to maintain sales, traaffic, etc. B&N's margins have always been high, so that's in their favor, but it doesn't appear to be enough.
You're asking if there's any chance of somebody buying Barnes&Nobel? You realize the company was already sold, right? Only about a year and a half ago, right? I don't think there's anybody who would be interested in buying the company now that couldn't have bought it back when it was out there up for sale. If no one else bought it then, why would they try to buy it now?
Borders/Waldenbooks, Hastings, Family Christian Stores are all gone. BN shut down B. Dalton's long ago because it didn't work, and places like BAM! are on life support. Big bookstores are cooked, B&N and their booksellers just happen to be the last buggy whip workers standing.
For sale:
One failing company. Customer confidence is low. Employee moral is dismal. Don’t have to pay employees medical benefits.Stores haven’t been professionally cleaned during global pandemic. Fixtures and reduced inventory included. For sale as is. No refund.