The strong sales increases posted by Barnes & Noble, Borders and Books-A-Million swung all three chains from a loss in last year's first period to profits in the most recent quarter. B&N had the best performance in the quarter in terms of operating margin (2.8%) and same-store sales growth (9.4%). B&N's results exclude revenue and losses from Barnes&Noble.com. The number of new stores opened in the quarter reflects the aggressive plans for B&N in the year (35 stores) and the more modest plans for Borders (25) and BAM (eight).


Qtr. 1st Numbers, Chain
($ in millions)

B&N BORDERS BAM
Sales $966.5 $838.1 $108.5
Op. income $27.0 $6.7 $2.5
Op. margin 2.8% 0.8% 2.3%
Comp sales 9.4%* 4.3%* 7.1%
New stores 9 4 0
*Same-store sales growth at superstores.