I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Barnes & Noble Education reported FY2026 revenue of $1.56B and diluted EPS of $0.49, returning to net income of $16.87M after a prior-year loss. Growth was driven by a 28% increase in BNC First Day program sales and digital content shifts. The company operates 1,116 stores, opened 64 new locations, and closed 94 underperforming ones, improving gross margins through cost containment.
Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. reported fiscal 2026 results with revenue of $1.56B and diluted EPS of $0.49, returning to full-year net income of $16.87M versus a $65.83M loss in the prior year.
Financial Highlights
| Metric | Current year | Prior year | YoY change |
| Revenue¹ | $1.56B | $1.46B | 6.9% |
| Net income² | $16.87M | ($65.83M) | 125.6% |
| Diluted EPS³ | $0.49 | ($2.5) | 119.6% |
¹ Reported as “Product sales and other”. ² Reported as “Net income (loss)”. ³ Reported as “Earning per share - Basic and Diluted”.
Business Highlights
- Revenue growth was driven by a 28% increase in BNC First Day® program sales (an incremental $166.3M), and a broader shift toward affordable-access and digital content that offset declines in a la carte courseware and closed-store sales.
- Operations included the opening of 64 stores and closure of 94 underperforming locations, contributing to an improved gross margin of 21.4% through cost containment and First Day mix.
- The company operates 1,116 campus and virtual stores and uses third-party partners such as Fanatics/Lids for logo merchandise fulfillment and digital marketing.
- Growth in institutional First Day® models pushed collections later in the cycle, prompting management focus on aligning vendor payments and receivables and managing working capital timing.
Original SEC Filing: Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. [ BNED ] - 10-K - Jul. 09, 2026