Businessweek

OK Simple Touch and NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight. These devices are designed in Palo Alto, California. NOOK Simple Touch and NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight provide customers an intuitive eReader on an E Ink display that replicates the experience of reading from physical paper and provides access to the company’s digital content store. NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color, in addition to providing access to the company’s digital content catalog, provide users access to the NOOK App store, an email client, and Web browsing capability. The bookstores also provide free Wi-Fi connectivity for NOOK devices, Read In Store access, which allows owners to read NOOK Books for free, and the More In Store program, which offers exclusive content and special promotions. The NOOK eReading products also allow for digital lending of a selection of books through its LendMe technology. Barnes & Noble’s NOOK eReading software provides customers the ability to purchase digital content and access to their Lifetime Library on a range of digital platforms, including iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android smartphones and tablets, as well as PC and Mac laptops or full-sized desktop computers. Third-Party Distribution Network: In addition to selling NOOK devices through its own bookstores, the company also sells devices through other third-party retail channels. The company’s third-party retail partners include Best Buy, Walmart, Staples, Target, Radio Shack, Books-A-Million, OfficeMax, Fred Meyer, P.C. Richard & Son, Office Depot, Fry’s Electronics and Systemax Inc. retailers. Seasonality: The NOOK business is impacted by the launch of new products and the promotional efforts to support those new products, as well as the traditional retail holiday selling seasonality. Competition: NOOK competes with online digital businesses, notably Amazon.com and Apple. Strategy Barnes & Noble’s strategy is to continue to invest in the digital business to fuel NOOK and content sales; use its infrastructure to deliver digital content to customers wirelessly and online; utilize the Barnes & Noble brand and retail footprint to attract customers to its multi-channel platform; and expand its distribution channels through strategic partnerships with hardware and software companies and retail partners. Trademarks and Service Marks The trademarks and service marks owned by the company and its subsidiaries include B&N, Barnes & Noble, Barnes & Noble.com, barnesandnoble.com, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, NOOK, The All-New NOOK, The Simple Touch Reader, NOOK 1st Edition, NOOK Wi-Fi 1st Edition, NOOK Color, NOOK Tablet, Reader’s Tablet, NOOK Simple Touch, NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight, NOOK Books, NOOK Bookstore, NOOK Newsstand, NOOK Newspapers, NOOK Digital Shop, PubIt!, NOOK Kids, Read In Store, More In Store, NOOK Friends, LendMe, NOOK Boutiques, NOOK Books en español, NOOK Study, Lifetime Library , Registration Integration, Text Net, Books Etc, Borders, Borders Books & Music and borders.com, some of which are registered or pending with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. History Barnes & Noble, Inc. was founded in 1986. The company was incorporated in Delaware in 1986.