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Barnes & Noble has revealed it hopes to open 300 more college campus stores in the next five years.
The American retailer currently has 696 shops and plans to have 1,000 by 2019.
B&N has been quietly closing some of its high street bookstores over the last 18 months and is losing sales in its digital e-book arm Nook Media, making its campus business its strongest asset.
The company is rivalled by 940-strong-chain Follett in the sector and Max Roberts, c.e.o of B&N’s college business, told Reuters he intended to poach accounts from Follet in order to ensure the business’s survival.
He also said he intended to get more schools to outsource their bookstore operations with the lure of nicer, higher-grossing stores.
"We want to make our stores the center of the community, and appeal to other consumers, not just students," Roberts said.