Microsoft

New York -- Barnes & Noble reported Tuesday that it narrowed its loss for the quarter ended April 28 to $57.6 million, compared with a loss of $59.4 million in the year-ago fourth quarter.

Revenue was essentially flat at $1.38 billion, missing Wall Street’s expected $1.48 billion in revenue. Retail sales rose 5% to $1.05 billion and Nook sales fell 11% to $164 million, as the company took back its Nook Simple Touch e-reader from retailers to make room for new inventory.

Same-store sales increased 4.5%.

By Gary C. Smith, NAEIR.org

When Children’s Wish Foundation International, an Atlanta-based charity, hosts scrapbooking or craft parties for children in the hospital, it turns to a gifts-in-kind organization and its catalog of donated merchandise for supplies. The two organizations then coordinate shipments of stuffed animals, Halloween costumes, craft materials, toys, videos and other items to hospitals to help fulfill the wishes of children in need.
 

New York -- Microsoft Corp. will open a store in Bridgewater Commons, Bridgewater, N.J., on May 16. The store will be located on the mall’s second level, close to the existing Apple store.

The computer giant is also moving into Massachusetts, with a store in Boston. The opening date has not been announced.

We’re pleased to announce that we’ll be opening a new Microsoft Store at The Shops at Prudential Center in Boston!,” the company wrote on its Facebook page and website.
 

The seventh annual Best Companies for Leadership Study conducted by the global consulting firm the Hay Group ranked Walmart eighth.

Walmart’s eighth  place ranking on the top 20 list is one notch better than the prior year, but slightly below the company’s 6th place ranking in 2009 when it made the list for the first time.

On Monday, Barnes & Noble Inc. and Microsoft announced a strategic partnership in a new unnamed Barnes & Noble subsidiary that, for the time being, is being identified as Newco. Here some comments from retail consultant Maggie Gilliam (Gilliam Insights) on the new venture:

Philadelphia -- McDonald’s and Wal-Mart Stores are among the Top 20 companies in the world for leadership, taking the No. 6 and No. 8 spots respectively, according to an annual study by global management firm Hay Group. The two chains were the only retailers to make the list.

NEW YORK and REDMOND, Wash. — Barnes & Noble has formed a partnership with Microsoft that will put Barnes & Noble's college and digital business under a new subsidiary, referred to for now as Newco. According to a press release, Microsoft will make a $300 million investment in Newco at a post-money valuation of $1.7 billion in exchange for an approximately 17.6% equity stake. Barnes & Noble will own approximately 82.4% of the new subsidiary, which will have an ongoing relationship with the company’s retail stores.

New York -- Microsoft Corp. and Barnes & Noble have entered into an agreement by which Microsoft will invest $300 million in Barnes & Noble’s digital-book (Nook) business and college texts unit.

With the arrangement, Barnes & Noble's digital and college businesses will become a new, still-to-be-named subsidiary in which Barnes & Noble holds an 82.4% stake and Microsoft owns 17.6%. The agreement also means the two companies have settled their patent dispute.