Barnes & Noble has reached far beyond the bookselling business to pick the new president of Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Michael Berry has been appointed president of B&N's bookstore operation, succeeding Tom Tolworthy, who left the company earlier this year (News, Jan. 22). Berry, who joined B&N February 19, had been senior v-p of operations for the Disneyland Resort, where he was responsible for the daily operations of Disneyland as well as for the development of the recently opened Disney's California Adventure and the Downtown Disney urban entertainment zone.
In his new post, Berry will oversee all operations for B&N's superstores and mall stores plus all buying, merchandising and inventory management. Berry will report to Alan Kahn, chief operating officer of B&N. According to a company memo, Berry's position provides for even greater integration between buying and the company's field organization.
Also last week, B&N said that preliminary figures show that total bookstore sales were $3.55 billion for the fiscal year ended February 3, 2001, an increase of 8.9% over fiscal 2000. The company projected that bookstore sales in the current fiscal year will increase 6.4%, to an estimated $3.78 billion. During the year, B&N plans to close 40 B. Dalton outlets and open between 40 to 45 superstores.
Last year's sales growth was led by B&N's superstores, where revenue rose 12.3%, to $3.17 billion, with comparable superstore sales rising 4.9% in the year. Overall sales at B. Dalton stores fell 12.6%, to $372.2 million, in the same period; B&N attributed the decline to the closing of 61 stores and to a drop in comparable-store sales of 1.7%.
