Barnes & Noble Opens Irving, Texas Superstore on August 19 at Irving Mall
Business Wire - August 12, 1998 17:15
%BARNES-NOBLE BKS %TEXAS %NEW-YORK %RETAIL %PUBLISHING V%BW P%BW
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 12, 1998--
175,000 Book Titles Including 15,000 Different Children's Books, Access to More Than One Million Titles Shipped within 24 Hours,
Barnes & Noble Cafe, Special Events Program, Superb Service,
Comfortable Setting, and Much More
Barnes & Noble, Inc., the nation's largest bookseller, will open on August 19, its new Irving, Texas, superstore at Irving Mall. The 25,460 square-foot store will employ 40 knowledgeable booksellers from the Irving area. In a comfortable and dynamic architectural setting, people of all ages can enjoy the art of browsing and buying books, relax over a cup of Starbucks Polar Frappe, or attend one of the store's special events.
"Customers at the Irving Barnes & Noble will have the opportunity to explore a larger selection of books in every imaginable subject than ever before," said Alan Kahn, chief operating officer of Barnes & Noble, Inc. "In addition to the books on the shelves, the store will offer in excess of one million book titles, usually shipped within 24 hours, from our distribution center."
In a spacious and comfortable atmosphere, the store will carry more than 175,000 different book titles in a wide range of subjects, many from thousands of small, independent publishers and university presses. While some 50,000 titles are common to all Barnes & Noble stores, the other 125,000 book titles are carefully selected to reflect the local lifestyles and interests of Irving customers. The store will also offer access to the more than one million book titles from Barnes & Noble's state-of-the-art distribution center.
"Barnes & Noble is dedicated to providing the kinds of services our customers want in a relaxed and welcoming environment," said Cleason Frost, the store manager for the new Irving store. "As a community institution, these services involve an ongoing calendar of free and exciting events, including poetry readings, book discussion groups, author signings, and children's story-telling hours, often featuring special guests. These events are designed to respond to the specific interests of the Irving community."
A portion of the new Irving store's "Preview Night" sales will benefit First Book, a national non-profit organization dedicated to distributing books to children who have little or no access to books. In partnership with the local First Book chapter, Barnes & Noble will host a book party at a later date where children from the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program will visit the store to choose a book of their very own.
The new Irving store's large and imaginative children's department is a magical place, highlighted by a selection of unforgettable characters of children's literature. The department features more than 15,000 titles, including all Newbery and Caldecott Award winning titles, as well as time-honored classics and new arrivals. Winnie-the-Pooh's Enchanted Forest, a children's event area, is dedicated to story hours, performances and special author appearances.
The store's music department offers more than 20,000 CDs and cassette titles, with especially comprehensive selections in classical music, opera, jazz and blues. Its Muze electronic music catalog, a touch-sensitive customer kiosk, features information on the actual location of CDs in the store. Listening stations will also be available for customers to preview selected CDs.
The store will feature a Barnes & Noble Cafe, which will serve Starbucks coffee and its specialty drinks, as well as the full-leaf teas of The Republic of Tea in a classic bistro setting. Cold drinks, a variety of reasonably priced gourmet soups, and freshly baked items are also available.
The new Irving Barnes & Noble will be open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. operates 489 Barnes & Noble bookstores and 510 B. Dalton bookstores. Barnes & Noble stores stock an authoritative selection of more than 175,000 titles and offer books from more than 27,000 publishers with an emphasis on small, independent publishers and university presses. Barnes & Noble is the world's largest bookseller on the World Wide Web (http://www.barnesandnoble.com), and the exclusive bookseller on America Online (Keyword: bn). The company also publishes books under the Barnes & Noble imprint for exclusive sale through its retail stores, mail-order catalogs, and Web site.
General financial information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the Internet by visiting the company's investor relations Web site: shareholder.com.
CONTACT: Rachel McLeod El-Yafi
(212) 633-4062
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