Barnes & Noble is extending the holiday season with a nationwide Barnes & Noble Discovery Friday on November 22, one week before Black Friday. Stores will host author signings and multiple holiday-themed storytimes and offer special deals, including one-day NOOK offers. Members will receive a double discount of 20% off the new NOOK GlowLight, making it less than $100; the Simple Touch GlowLight will be available at $50 off. Other activities include Lego Chima CHI Battles, as well as give-aways of Harry Potter commemorative posters and collectible quote decals from John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, among others. Five customers will be chosen from around the country to win a $1,000 B&N shopping spree.
A variety of a retailers are adopting different tactics to deal with the fact that Thanksgiving is extremely late this year.
“Barnes & Noble offers the ultimate holiday shopping experience for customers who enjoy the art of discovery, appreciate the human touch and recognize that the best recommendations don’t come from an algorithm,” said Mitchel Klipper, CEO of the B&N Retail Group. “Discovery Friday shines a light on our 40,000 booksellers, undeniably our greatest asset, and also celebrates our customers by bringing the spirit of fun and discovery to their holiday shopping experience.”
At the same time, B&N is incorporating a sense of discovery into its holiday television advertising campaign, “It All Happens at Barnes & Noble,” featuring Jack Brayer (30 Rock, Wreck-It Ralph, Talladega Nights) as a holiday shopper. The spot, which can be viewed on YouTube, highlights the new NOOK GlowLight and the variety of books (McBrayer picks out Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep), toys, and other gifts available at B&N.
The TV spot will air on all major networks (ABC, NBC Universal, CBS, and Fox) and cable networks (Food Network, HGTV, Bravo) during top-rated network shows. It will also be distributed through online video.
