Barnes & Noble retail chief to retire

The chief executive of Barnes & Noble Inc.’s retail group will retire May 2.

Mitchell Klipper, will continue to work with the company as a special adviser on real estate and other matters, Barnes & Noble said. The company said it has begun to search for a new retail CEO, and Klipper will help in the process.

“Mitchell Klipper’s contributions to Barnes & Noble have been nothing short of spectacular,” said Leonard Riggio, chairman of Barnes & Noble Inc. “He, more than anyone, has been the architect of our bookstore superstore expansion all across America. I cannot thank him enough for all he has done for our company, and for what he has meant to me as a friend and colleague. Fortunately, he leaves behind an excellent management team, and will stay on as an adviser.”

Klipper, a 28-year veteran of the bookstore chain, previously acted as the company’s operating chief and chief financial officer. Before taking over as retail CEO, he oversaw the company’s development segment, which is responsible for its real estate operations.Under his watch, the group oversaw locations, construction and design for more than 600 Barnes Noble’s superstores.

The announcement of Klipper’s retirement comes as the company looks to separate its retail business from its Nook e-book operations. Barnes Noble had hoped the Nook would help the company compete better with Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle devices. But the Nook has failed to resonate with consumers.

The company said this month it expects same-store sales to be about flat, compared with its previous estimate of a low-single-digit decline, as book sales stabilized and educational toy sales grew.

Barnes & Noble operates 658 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 50 states and on BN.com.