Barnes and Noble Textbook Market Review

Barnes and Noble is a legacy bookstore chain with more than 600 retail locations. It is the most comprehensive and only national library chain in the United States
In addition to its physical locations, Barnes and Noble has a large online marketplace, where you can purchase thousands of books, including textbooks.
In this review, we take a look at the Barnes and Noble textbook market. We’ll give you the ins and outs of purchasing textbooks online at B&N, and share some alternatives, including some popular textbook rental sites.

What is Barnes & Noble?

Barnes and Noble It is one of the oldest and most popular booksellers in the United States. It was founded in 1886 as a small bookstore in New York City. Over the years, it has grown into a nationwide retail chain. Today, it also operates a large online marketplace with thousands of book titles available, including textbooks.

What do you offer?

Here’s a closer look at what’s available on the Barnes & Noble textbook market:

School book market

Students can purchase textbooks on the Barnes & Noble marketplace, but the number of titles seems small compared to dedicated textbook marketplaces. I did a few searches and found just over 1,000 titles, and about 100 study aids and test prep materials alone.

Shoppers can have most textbooks shipped to their addresses or choose in-store pickup. Shipping times vary by product. I’ve seen many textbooks with 1-2 day shipping, some within 5-6 days.

Shipping is free on orders of $50 or more (before taxes) within the United States. If you become a Premium Member, you qualify for free shipping on all orders.

A major book retailer

In addition to textbooks, Barnes & Noble sells thousands of book titles across nearly every genre imaginable, including fiction, nonfiction, teen and young adult books, audiobooks, games and educational books. It offers two membership levels: Rewards (free) and Premium, which provide users with various benefits.

Benefits of Barnes & Noble membership

You can become a B&N Rewards member for free, or choose a premium membership for $39.99 per year. Rewards membership lets you earn one stamp for every $10 you spend. When you collect 10 stamps, you earn a bonus of $5, which is 5% – which is not bad.

Prime members get the same bonus and also qualify for a 10% discount on almost all purchases on the website or in-store, including audiobook purchases. As mentioned earlier, they’re also eligible for free shipping on all orders and get a host of other perks, including free drink upgrades (in-store), special birthday offers, and early access to special releases and events.

Are there any fees?

Aside from the optional $39.99 Annual Premium Membership, and any shipping fees you may be subject to on lower value orders, there is no fee to use the Barnes and Noble Marketplace.

How does Barnes & Noble compare?

As an online book marketplace, Barnes and Noble is a great site. However, it offers much less for students looking for textbooks. Many students rely on textbook rental markets to save money for book purchases, which can be expensive and offer much larger book selections than Barnes and Noble.

One example is Campus Books, which lets you buy, sell, and rent your textbooks for up to 150 days. They will even buy back textbooks you no longer need. Another option is Valore Books, a textbook rental company that allows you to rent or buy books online. You can also sell your old textbooks after getting an instant quote. Campus Books and Valore both offer a wide selection of books with free shipping available.

How can I open an account?

You can open a Barnes and Noble Rewards account within two minutes on the website. Simply provide your name and email address and choose a secure password.

Is Barnes & Noble safe to use?

Yes, Barnes and Noble is an established online marketplace and should be considered safe to use. You can view its privacy policy here.

Is it worth it?

Barnes and Noble is a huge bookstore, but it’s not a great place to buy textbooks online. It doesn’t seem to have many titles, and unlike Campus or Valore Books, you don’t have the option to rent your textbooks. B&N also got rid of third-party sellers in 2020, so you can’t sell your old books through the site. I think it’s a reasonable option to consider if you want to compare prices between other platforms. It doesn’t hurt to check if B&N has the book you want in stock. Otherwise, I will always start my research with dedicated textbook platforms.