Nook Becoming Very Important for Barnes & Noble

With revenue for its tablets and e-readers reaching $160 million for the latest quarter, B&N's Nook tablets are taking a hold in the market, can it make a bigger play out of them?

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In its filing for the second quarter, Barnes and Noble has reported an increase of US$8.5 million in revenue from its new Nook division, up 5.6% to $160 million while also touting a doubling in sales over the Thanksgiving holiday period. Overall, the company beat estimates and seems well placed for the digital holidays. 

With sales of digital content up 38%, the company seems to have come out of its rocky patch, buoyed by the success of the Nook ecosystem. With the company looking forward to a major holiday season, its Nook tablet and Nook HD models, which launched after this quarter, should do a roaring trade. 

Nook Not Niche

The company also has a partnership with Microsoft  in Windows 8 to fuel the growth of its digital business, making it another growing content provider across multiple devices, including computers, phones and the iPad via its various reader apps. 

The Nook range now covers 7-inch and 9-inch tablets with HD or regular models, all competing with Amazon's Kindle range and Apple products in America. Nook e-readers started selling in Europe this summer with partners in the U.K. and across the continent. Nook HD tablets recently arrived there too, and while the B&N name might not be that familiar, its partnerships with bookstores and electronics retailers plus the drive to digital content should see them sell well.