Barnes & Noble Stores Testing Playroom Boutiques
Posted on November 11, 2010
Barnes & Noble, Inc. has announced the initial rollout of 3,000 square foot boutiques in five test stores: Enfield, Connecticut; Manchester, Connecticut; North Brunswick, New Jersey; Holmdel, New Jersey; and Bronx, New York. The play spaces incorporate interactive displays and are the result of strategic partnerships with toy and games manufacturers. Barnes & Noble has created five interactive play areas - Building, Learning, Imagining, Creating and Playing. The photographs of the play areas are from B&N's Bronx, NY store.
Mr. Carey said the company planned to roll out more boutiques after a period of testing. The newly designed spaces include:
- Building: This area encourages construction that promotes critical thinking and problem solving and features partnerships with LEGO and Rokenbok.
- Learning: This area encourages interactive reading through digital books and educational hand-held gaming and features a NOOK kids interactive station and products from LeapFrog, including the NEW Leapster Explorer.
- Imagining: This area encourages creative thinking and cause and effect interactivity and features products from Playmobil, Calico Critters and Puppet Theater.
- Creating: An interactive creativity area that features products from Crayola and American Girl crafts.
- Playing: This area encourages play that support books. Featured products include Thomas the Tank Engine, Olivia, and Curious George.
In addition to the five new boutiques, Barnes & Noble has also expanded its Toys & Games departments in stores nationwide ahead of the holiday season. Barnes & Nnoble's rival Borders has also become more toy focused. Borders