(By Balaseshan) Bookseller Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) has slipped to a quarterly loss due to adverse impact from NOOK inventory charges and promotional allowances. Results missed Street's expectations.
Loss for the third quarter was $6.06 million or $0.18 per share, compared to a profit of $52.03 million or $0.71 per share last year.
Revenue decreased 8.8% to $2.22 billion.
Analysts, on average, polled by Thomson Reuters had expected a profit of $0.54 per share on revenue of $2.40 billion for the third quarter.
Retail sales fell 10.3% to $1.5 billion, due to a 7.3% decline in comparable store sales, store closures and lower BN.com sales. Core comparable bookstore sales, which exclude sales of NOOK products, increased 2.2%.
College revenue declined 1.6% to $517 million. Comparable College store sales decreased 5.2%, as the back-to-school rush season extended past the close of third quarter. Factoring in the two additional weeks in February that contributed to this year's rush season, comparable store sales decreased 2.1% for the quarter.
NOOK segment revenue plunged 26% to $316 million, primarily as a result of lower device unit volume. Digital content sales increased 6.8% for the third quarter.
In response to the device sales shortfall over the holiday season, the company said NOOK is calibrating its business model and has implemented a cost reduction program that the company projects will significantly reduce NOOK's expenses.
For fiscal 2013, the company continues to expect Retail comparable bookstore sales to decline on a percentage basis in the low- to mid-single digits. College comparable store sales are now expected to decline on a percentage basis in the low single digits. NOOK Media revenues, which includes the NOOK and College businesses, are expected to be about $2.5 billion.
The company expects fourth quarter NOOK segment EBITDA losses to be comparable to last year's fourth quarter loss.
On February 25, the company said its board has received notice from Chairman Leonard Riggio to buy all assets of the retail business. The retail business includes, among other things, Barnes & Noble Booksellers Inc. and barnesandnoble.com, but exclude NOOK Media LLC (comprising the digital and College businesses).
BKS is trading down 0.92% at $15.09 on Thursday. The stock has been trading between $10.45 and $26.00 for the past 52 weeks.