Shares dropped to $5.11 on Thursday, or less than the average $6.99 price for a children's mass-market paperback. Its stock has plunged by 28 percent since the year's start, when it traded at $7.11
The company is monitoring the 91 stores it remodeled to determine whether it's worth making an additional investment in more locations.
But it's not only books that are suffering at Barnes & Noble. The store, known for a place where readers can grab a cup of coffee while browsing the shelves, also saw "slowness" at its cafes. On top of that, sales for seasonal gifts and the tchotchkes it sells as "impulse" purchases were slow.
It looks like it might be time to throw the towel in.