11/30/10 - Barnes & Noble, Inc., the world’s largest bookseller, today reported sales and earnings for its fiscal 2011 second quarter ended October 30, 2010. 

Total sales for the second quarter were $1.9 billion, including sales of Barnes & Noble College Booksellers (“College”) of $798 million.  Excluding College, total sales increased 1% over the prior year period.   Comparable sales at Barnes & Noble.com increased 59% driven by increases in core products and sales of digital devices and digital content.  Barnes & Noble comparable store sales decreased by 3.3% and College’s comparable store sales decreased by 1.5%. 

The expansion of the Toys & Games department at Barnes & Noble stores produced a 42% sales increase for the department during the second quarter.  In the third quarter, the company began testing additional concepts, including an expanded children’s offering and digital and electronics accessories, to drive further sales increases in 2011.

For the second quarter, the company reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $46 million.  The consolidated second quarter net loss was $12.6 million, or $0.22 per share, in-line with previously issued guidance of earnings of $0.05 per share to a loss of $0.25 per share.