Could Be Last Holiday for Barnes & Noble

This holiday season Barnes & Noble (New York) is facing the ultimate test: perform well or sell off the company. Facing such a predicament means this could be the last holiday shopping season for the 1873-founded retailer.

The company is reportedly considering a sale of its business to a handful of parties, including U.K.-based W.H. Smith, according to CNBC. Holiday spending is forecast to be strong this year – $1536 per household, 25 percent higher than last year – so if the bookseller can’t turn its numbers around in such a robust economic environment, it might mean the beginning of the end.

Barnes & Noble remains positive about the season’s potential for its comp-store sales growth. “We are hoping that that comes – we are planning for it to come – during this holiday season.”

The company will report its second-quarter fiscal earnings on Nov. 20 and will reveal more about its holiday plans.