Barnes & Noble Holiday Sales Increase 5.2%; Comparable Store Sales Increase 2.3%; Reaffirms Previous Earnings Guidance.

NEW YORK -- Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller, today reported holiday sales for the nine-week holiday period from October 29, 2005 to December 31, 2005.

Barnes & Noble store sales were $1.1 billion, a 5.2 percent increase over the same period in fiscal 2004. Comparable store sales increased 2.3 percent, in line with guidance. For the 48 weeks ended December 31, 2005, Barnes & Noble store sales rose 5.4 percent to $4.0 billion, while comparable store sales increased 2.6 percent.

B. Dalton sales were $41.3 million, a decline of 18.4 percent from the same period in fiscal 2004, due to store closings. Comparable store sales increased 3.0 percent. For the 48 weeks ended December 31, 2005, B. Dalton sales decreased 20.1 percent to $132.9 million, while comparable store sales increased 0.5 percent.

Barnes & Noble.com sales increased 1.0 percent to $106.1 million over the same period in fiscal 2004. For the 48 weeks ended December 31, 2005, Barnes & Noble.com sales increased 5.2 percent to $393.1 million.

Based on the holiday sales results, the company reaffirms previously announced fourth-quarter and full-year guidance. Consolidated earnings per share guidance is projected to be in a range of $1.72 to $1.76 for the fourth quarter and $1.99 to $2.03 for the full year.

Full-year earnings for 2005 and guidance for 2006 will be issued on or about March 16, 2006.

ABOUT BARNES & NOBLE, INC.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller and a Fortune 500 company, operates 824 bookstores in 50 states. For the fourth year in a row, the company is the nation's top retail brand for quality, according to the EquiTrend(R) Brand Study by Harris Interactive(R). Barnes & Noble conducts its online business through Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com), one of the Web's largest e-commerce sites and the number one online bookseller for quality among e-commerce companies, according to the latest EquiTrend survey.

General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the Internet by visiting the company's corporate Web site: http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

SAFE HARBOR 

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Barnes & Noble is including this statement for the express purpose of availing itself of the protections of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to all such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and represent the beliefs of the management of the company. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks include, but are not limited to, general economic and market conditions, decreased consumer demand for the company's products, possible disruptions in the company's computer or telephone systems, possible work stoppages or increases in labor costs, possible increases in shipping rates or interruptions in shipping service, effects of competition, possible disruptions or delays in the opening of new stores or the inability to obtain suitable sites for new stores, higher than anticipated store closing or relocation costs, higher interest rates, the performance of the company's online and other initiatives, the successful integration of acquired businesses, the successful and timely completion and integration of the company's new New Jersey distribution center, unanticipated increases in merchandise or occupancy costs, unanticipated adverse litigation results or effects, product shortages, and other factors which may be outside of the company's control. Please refer to the company's annual, quarterly and periodic reports on file with the SEC for a more detailed discussion of these and other risks that could cause results to differ materially.