Latest news with #BNED
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Barnes & Noble Education Announces Surge in New Campus Store Partnerships
Over 20 new institutions across a mix of two- and four-year public and private colleges and universities turn to Barnes & Noble College for innovative, customer-focused solutions BASKING RIDGE, N.J., May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (NYSE: BNED), a leading solutions provider for the education industry, today announced a wave of new campus store partnerships with colleges and universities across the country. These institutions, representing a diverse mix of two- and four-year public and private schools, have selected Barnes & Noble College (BNC) to operate their campus stores ahead of the 2025–2026 academic year, with over 20 campus stores scheduled to open from February through August this year. This total is more than double the number added during the same period in each of the prior two years. This momentum highlights the growing demand for BNC's innovative, customer-focused approach as colleges and universities seek trusted partners that can support improved access, affordability, and the omnichannel retail experience. The Barnes & Noble College Difference BNC is redefining the collegiate retail experience through a powerful partnership model that helps institutions ignite change and reach new levels of success. Backed by the financial strength of BNED, we deliver unmatched support for academic excellence while offering unique capabilities to enhance each institution's brand and reputation. Our uncompromised, community-focused service model ensures schools receive personalized support, on-campus expertise, and a consistent partner committed to their success. From tech-enabled course material delivery to dynamic retail experiences, BNC fosters innovation, elevates the campus experience, and drives sustainable growth. BNC's unique and differentiated capabilities enable us to deliver more relevant and customized support to our partners through: Unmatched Access to Affordable Course Materials - the industry's largest selection of print and digital formats, delivered seamlessly through traditional and affordable access models. Unmatched Omnichannel Retail Experiences - innovative store design, curated merchandise, exclusive school-branded collections and collaborations, and an elevated online experience. Innovative Technology - designed to support both students and faculty throughout the academic journey, including seamless course material delivery, Bookshelf e-reader, CoachMe study tool, faculty Adoption & Insights portal (AIP), and more. Best-in-Class Service Model - featuring dedicated on-campus management and tailored campus engagement strategies and service, as well as local decision-making. 'Our highly differentiated solutions are delivering real value to institutions nationwide,' said Jonathan Shar, Chief Executive Officer, Barnes & Noble Education. 'From affordability and access to deeper engagement and measurable outcomes, we're delivering results that matter to schools, students, alumni, fans, and faculty. We're proud to welcome these new partners and look forward to helping them elevate the customer experience and achieve their highest priority goals.' New Partnerships Across a Broad Mix of Institutions The mix of two- and four-year public and private colleges and universities spans 17 states and includes both former self-operated stores and those transitioning from other vendors — all choosing BNC for its proven ability to deliver innovation and operational excellence. Notable new partners include Villanova University, Georgia Southern University, Oral Roberts University, the Colorado Community College System, UNC Pembroke, Xavier University, the University of Denver, and more. More than half of the new institutions will launch First Day® Complete, BNC's rapidly growing, industry-leading affordable access program, beginning Fall Term 2025. ABOUT BARNES & NOBLE EDUCATION, & Noble Education, Inc. (NYSE: BNED) is a leading solutions provider for the education industry, driving affordability, access, and achievement at hundreds of academic institutions nationwide and ensuring millions of students are equipped for success in the classroom and beyond. Through its family of brands, BNED offers campus retail services and academic solutions, wholesale capabilities, and more. BNED is a company serving all who work to elevate their lives through education, supporting students, faculty, and institutions as they make tomorrow a better and smarter world. For more information about Barnes & Noble Education, visit more information about Barnes & Noble College, visit Media Contact:Judith BuckinghamCorporate CommunicationsBarnes & Noble Educationjbuckingham@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Barnes & Noble Education Announces Surge in New Campus Store Partnerships
Over 20 new institutions across a mix of two- and four-year public and private colleges and universities turn to Barnes & Noble College for innovative, customer-focused solutions BASKING RIDGE, N.J., May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (NYSE: BNED), a leading solutions provider for the education industry, today announced a wave of new campus store partnerships with colleges and universities across the country. These institutions, representing a diverse mix of two- and four-year public and private schools, have selected Barnes & Noble College (BNC) to operate their campus stores ahead of the 2025–2026 academic year, with over 20 campus stores scheduled to open from February through August this year. This total is more than double the number added during the same period in each of the prior two years. This momentum highlights the growing demand for BNC's innovative, customer-focused approach as colleges and universities seek trusted partners that can support improved access, affordability, and the omnichannel retail experience. The Barnes & Noble College Difference BNC is redefining the collegiate retail experience through a powerful partnership model that helps institutions ignite change and reach new levels of success. Backed by the financial strength of BNED, we deliver unmatched support for academic excellence while offering unique capabilities to enhance each institution's brand and reputation. Our uncompromised, community-focused service model ensures schools receive personalized support, on-campus expertise, and a consistent partner committed to their success. From tech-enabled course material delivery to dynamic retail experiences, BNC fosters innovation, elevates the campus experience, and drives sustainable growth. BNC's unique and differentiated capabilities enable us to deliver more relevant and customized support to our partners through: Unmatched Access to Affordable Course Materials - the industry's largest selection of print and digital formats, delivered seamlessly through traditional and affordable access models. Unmatched Omnichannel Retail Experiences - innovative store design, curated merchandise, exclusive school-branded collections and collaborations, and an elevated online experience. Innovative Technology - designed to support both students and faculty throughout the academic journey, including seamless course material delivery, Bookshelf e-reader, CoachMe study tool, faculty Adoption & Insights portal (AIP), and more. Best-in-Class Service Model - featuring dedicated on-campus management and tailored campus engagement strategies and service, as well as local decision-making. 'Our highly differentiated solutions are delivering real value to institutions nationwide,' said Jonathan Shar, Chief Executive Officer, Barnes & Noble Education. 'From affordability and access to deeper engagement and measurable outcomes, we're delivering results that matter to schools, students, alumni, fans, and faculty. We're proud to welcome these new partners and look forward to helping them elevate the customer experience and achieve their highest priority goals.' New Partnerships Across a Broad Mix of Institutions The mix of two- and four-year public and private colleges and universities spans 17 states and includes both former self-operated stores and those transitioning from other vendors — all choosing BNC for its proven ability to deliver innovation and operational excellence. Notable new partners include Villanova University, Georgia Southern University, Oral Roberts University, the Colorado Community College System, UNC Pembroke, Xavier University, the University of Denver, and more. More than half of the new institutions will launch First Day® Complete, BNC's rapidly growing, industry-leading affordable access program, beginning Fall Term 2025. ABOUT BARNES & NOBLE EDUCATION, & Noble Education, Inc. (NYSE: BNED) is a leading solutions provider for the education industry, driving affordability, access, and achievement at hundreds of academic institutions nationwide and ensuring millions of students are equipped for success in the classroom and beyond. Through its family of brands, BNED offers campus retail services and academic solutions, wholesale capabilities, and more. BNED is a company serving all who work to elevate their lives through education, supporting students, faculty, and institutions as they make tomorrow a better and smarter world. For more information about Barnes & Noble Education, visit more information about Barnes & Noble College, visit Media Contact:Judith BuckinghamCorporate CommunicationsBarnes & Noble Educationjbuckingham@
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (BNED): A Bull Case Theory
We came across a bullish thesis on Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (BNED) on Substack by Catapult Capital. In this article, we will summarize the bulls' thesis on BNED. Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (BNED)'s share was trading at $9.73 as of March 17th. An aerial view of a well-stocked bookstore, with customers browsing inside. Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) is the independent university bookstore division of Barnes & Noble, spun off in 2015. Initially seen as a more stable business compared to mainstream retail, BNED operates 1,164 bookstores across the U.S., with 649 physical and 515 virtual locations. The company primarily sells branded merchandise and textbooks and has historically faced headwinds from e-commerce competition, digitalization, and piracy. The textbook retail market has shifted toward an oligopoly, with BNED controlling about 30%, its main competitor Follett also holding 30%, and the remaining share split between self-managed stores and smaller operators. Over time, self-managed bookstores have ceded share to BNED and Follett, consolidating the industry further. Despite expectations of resilience, BNED's performance post-IPO has been disastrous. Amazon and other e-commerce players have aggressively encroached on BNED's core textbook sales, while digitalization has enabled publishers to sell directly to students, bypassing bookstores. Rampant piracy has further eroded the market, impacting both BNED and textbook publishers. However, salvation has come in the form of "Equitable Access" (EA) programs, designed to address affordability concerns for lower-income students. These programs shift textbook purchasing to an opt-out model, bundling textbook fees with tuition and dramatically increasing sell-through rates—from roughly 35% under the old model to nearly 80% at campuses adopting EA. Universities benefit from higher textbook sales, students receive materials at a discount, and publishers see stronger profitability despite offering price reductions. This shift mirrors the transition of the music industry to subscription-based streaming, where higher volume offsets lower per-unit revenue. BNED launched its own EA programs—First Day (FD) and First Day Complete (FDC)—in 2021. The rollout has been highly successful, with 16.4% of its covered campuses now enrolled in FDC. While overall revenue has remained stable due to the cannibalization of traditional textbook sales and store closures, margins have surged, transforming BNED's financial outlook. The company has shifted from breakeven EBITDA in FY23 to posting 4.7% trailing-12-month EBITDA margins, a testament to the program's impact. At this point, the key question is not whether FDC will succeed, but how much market penetration BNED can achieve—20%, 30%, or even 70%? The company faced a major overhang in early 2024 when the Biden administration's Department of Education (DOE) launched an investigation into the opt-out nature of EA programs, questioning whether students were overpaying. At the same time, BNED was highly leveraged due to industry headwinds and failed acquisitions, with significant debt maturing in mid-2024. The DOE probe created uncertainty, making lenders hesitant to refinance. BNED was forced into a dilutive rights offering, sold a large stake at a discount to Immersion Corp (IMMR), and converted second-lien debt from Fanatics and VitalSource into equity. As a result, IMMR became the de facto controlling shareholder, with an initial 40% stake that has since been reduced to 32% through additional share issuances aimed at further deleveraging. In December 2024, the DOE investigation concluded without action, as universities defended the benefits of EA programs. With this regulatory risk resolved, BNED now finds itself at the early stages of an FDC rollout that is fundamentally reshaping its profitability. The leverage issue is in the past, the company is generating strong cash flow, and its competitive position is solid in an oligopolistic market. Valuation remains the key opportunity. Despite these fundamental improvements, BNED trades at just ~5x EV/EBITDA on trailing numbers. However, as FDC penetration continues rising, profitability is set to increase further. If we assign a modest 14x multiple on forward unlevered earnings, factoring in conservative EBITDA growth and normalized capex, the stock could be valued at $23.3. The current setup presents a compelling opportunity—BNED is a transformed business, in a resilient market, with its largest regulatory overhang resolved. As the market fully realizes the implications of BNED's shift to EA programs, the stock has significant upside potential. Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (BNED) is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 17 hedge fund portfolios held BNED at the end of the fourth quarter which was 6 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of BNED as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than BNED but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock. READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock. Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.
