A Nook tablet is offered for sale at a Barnes & Noble store on June 25 in Oak Brook, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Barnes & Noble Ends Tablet Ties With Microsoft

Dec. 4, 2014
Barnes & Noble ends a partnership with Microsoft for its Nook tablet computers as the retailer prepares to spin off the unit.

NEW YORK — U.S. bookseller Barnes & Noble said Thursday it had ended a partnership with Microsoft (IW 500/16) for its Nook tablet computers, as the retailer prepares a spinoff of the unit.

B&N said it agreed to buy back the stake from Microsoft, which in 2012 agreed to invest $300 million in the Nook division.

The companies "have agreed to terminate their commercial agreement including any associated obligations for international content acquisition and sale," said B&N in a statement.

"Such termination will allow the company to continue its rationalization of the Nook Digital business and enhances Barnes & Noble’s operational and strategic flexibility."

Nook has had a difficult time in a tablet market led by Apple (IW 500/4), Amazon and Samsung (IW 1000/12), but earlier this year agreed to make a co-branded tablet with the South Korean electronics giant.

B&N separately said it posted a profit of $12.3 million on revenues of $1.7 billion in the previous quarter, with the Nook division seeing an operating loss of $38 million.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2014

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