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June 18- June 24, 2012 Edition Barnes and Noble Nook Soars,Retail Sales Up Slightly New York, NY/AUTHORLINK NEWS/June 19, 2012/Barnes & Noble, Inc. today reported sales and earnings increases for its fiscal 2012 fourth quarter and full year ended April 28, 2012. The company also announced that it recently completed the evaluation of its reporting segments and will now report results for a separate NOOK operating segment. BN.com, previously a separate reporting segment, will now be included in the Retail segment.
Fourth quarter consolidated revenues increased 0.4% to $1.4 billion as compared to the prior year. The consolidated fourth quarter earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) loss of $11.1 million improved 51% as compared to the prior year. The consolidated fourth quarter net loss improved 3% as compared to the prior year to $57.7 million, or $1.08 per share.
For fiscal 2012, consolidated revenues increased 2% to $7.1 billion as compared to the prior year. Fiscal 2012 consolidated EBITDA increased 5% to $171.4 million. Included in these results are pre-tax legal and settlement-related net expenses of $20.7 million, and $14 million relating to patent litigation with Microsoft, which as announced on April 30, 2012, has been settled. The fiscal 2012 consolidated net loss improved 7% as compared to the prior year to $68.9 million, or $1.41 per share.
We grew our business in 2012 while continuing to make the necessary investments for the future of the business, said William Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble. In digital, our NOOK content sales continued to explode with 119% year-on year growth. In the quarter we also announced a historic new partnership with Microsoft that will include a significant investment in Newco, and that will capitalize the company to fuel continued growth in digital and international expansion. Lastly, we announced NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight, that we started shipping in the first quarter of fiscal 2013, which has quickly become the highest rated eReader in the market. At retail, we had a terrific year growing comparable bookstore sales 4.5% for the quarter and 1.4% for the year, a result of our effective new merchandising efforts and continued industry consolidation. As we look out to fiscal 2013, we feel the company is strategically well positioned to grow value for shareholders.
Results by unit:
Retail As a result of the change in segment reporting, the Retail segment now includes results from the Barnes & Noble bookstores and BN.com. Retail sales were $1.1 billion for the quarter and $4.9 billion for the full year, increasing 0.5% for the quarter while decreasing 1.5% for the fiscal year. Comparable bookstore sales increased 4.5% for the quarter and 1.4% for the full year, as compared to the prior year periods. Comparable bookstore sales benefited from the liquidation of Borders bookstores during fiscal 2012, increased sales of NOOK products, and a strong title lineup including The Hunger Games and Fifty Shades of Grey trilogies. Core comparable bookstore sales, which exclude sales of NOOK products, increased 6.9% for the quarter and 0.7% for the full year. BN.com sales continued to decline for the quarter as well as the fiscal year.
College The College segment, which includes results from the Barnes & Noble College bookstores, had revenues of $228 million for the quarter and $1.7 billion for the full year, increasing 5.7% for the quarter and decreasing 1.9% for the year, as compared to the prior year. As compared to the year ago period, fourth quarter sales were positively impacted by the recognition of textbook rental sales deferred from the third quarter. However, full year sales were lower as compared to a year ago, due to a shift from selling new and used textbooks to lower priced textbook rentals. Comparable College store sales decreased 2.2% for the quarter and 0.3% for the full year, as compared to the prior year periods. College comparable store sales reflect the retail selling price of a new or used textbook when rented, rather than solely the rental fee received and amortized over the rental period.
NOOK The NOOK segment, which consists of the companys digital business (including Readers, digital content and accessories), had revenues of $164 million for the quarter and $933 million for the full year. NOOK segment comparable sales increased 1% for the fourth quarter while increasing 45% for the full year, as compared to the prior year periods. Device sales declined during the fourth quarter due to higher third-party channel partner returns, lower selling volume and lower average selling prices. In order to optimize the supply chain for new products, the company took back NOOK Simple Touch inventory following the previously announced holiday sales shortfall. Digital content sales increased 65% for the fourth quarter and 119% for the full year on a comparable basis, growing comparable digital content sales to $483 million for the full year. Digital content sales are defined to include digital books, digital newsstand, and the apps business.
Comparable NOOK sales reflect the actual selling price for digital books sold under the agency model rather than solely the commission received. Additionally, such sales include all deferred NOOK device revenues, and device sales to third-party channel partners on a sell-in basis net of estimated returns.
Newco Separation On April 30th, the company announced that it has formed a strategic partnership with Microsoft to form a new subsidiary, Newco, which is comprised of the companys NOOK digital and College businesses. The company continues to be actively engaged in the formation of Newco and is in the process of implementing the work necessary to complete the separation and close the Microsoft transaction. Barnes & Noble, Inc. will report fiscal 2013 first quarter earnings on or about August 21, 2012.
About Barnes & Noble, Inc. Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the world’s largest bookseller and a Fortune 500 company, operates 691 bookstores in 50 states. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, also operates 647college bookstores serving over 4.6 million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States. Barnes & Noble conducts its online business through BN.com (www.bn.com), one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, which also features more than two million titles in its NOOK Bookstore (www.bn.com/ebooks). Through Barnes & Nobles NOOK eReading product offering, customers can buy and read digital books and content on the widest range of platforms, including NOOK devices, partner company products, and the most popular mobile and computing devices using free NOOK software. Barnes & Noble is proud to be named a J.D. Power and Associated 2012 Customer Service Champion and is only one of 50 U.S. companies so named. Barnes & Noble.com is ranked the number one online retailer in customer satisfaction in the book, music and video category and a Top 10 online retailer overall in customer satisfaction according to ForeSee E-Retail Satisfaction Index (Spring Top 100 Edition).
