Adult Coloring Books Driving Barnes & Noble's Earnings -- March 7, 2016

Updates

Later, 10:34 p.m. Central Time: after posting the following, I sent a copy to my wife (who is out in California for a couple of weeks). She said this "fad" has been going on for at least two years. She, our older daughter, and our oldest granddaughter often "work" on them while talking; helps relieve stress, she says. I'm always the last to know.
 

Original Post

 

Over the weekend, in between games during the Charles Dutton Water Polo Tournament here in north Texas, our granddaughter and I would visit the Barnes & Noble up the street. It was her suggestion.

I had not been there in awhile; coming into the music and DVD section, just before going through the merchandise "detector" I saw a stack of "coloring books," something I don't recall seeing before, at least not this many. I pointed the table full of "coloring books" out to Arianna and said "coloring books have come a long way since when I was a kid."

Today, of all things, I run across this article in the WSJ: Barnes & Noble earnings for 4Q15 were better than expected. Why?

• An uptick in print sales, driven in part by the success of adult coloring books, has bolstered the retailer’s expectations. 
• Excluding sales related to its Nook device and e-book business, same-store sales were up 1.3% in the third quarter. And the company still expects sales on that basis to rise 1% for the full fiscal year, which ends April 30.
• Barnes & Noble said it expects to have closed eight stores by the end of fiscal 2016, the fewest since fiscal 2000 when it closed five locations. Barnes & Noble had previously forecast that it would close 13 stores this fiscal year.
• During a call with analysts, Ronald Boire, Barnes & Noble’s chief executive, said reducing Nook losses is the retailer’s priority. He said that while the company is committed to its digital customers, it is exploring all options. The retailer is currently winding down the sale of its Nook devices and e-books in the U.K.

Who would have ever guessed: Barnes & Noble reporting a better quarter based on "adult coloring books." Next thing you know Playboy will announce no more nudity in their magazines. Oh, that's right, they already have.

***************************************

Running Track