B. Dalton
Encyclopedia
B. Dalton Bookseller was an American retail
bookstore chain founded in 1966 by the Dayton's
department store chain. Located primarily in shopping mall
s, B. Dalton competed primarily with Waldenbooks
, and operated 798 stores at its peak. Barnes & Noble
acquired the chain from Dayton's in 1987, and continued to operate it until a late-2009 announcement that the last fifty stores would be liquidated by January 2010.
, a department store
chain based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
, began the B. Dalton chain in 1966. The name B. Dalton was chosen because it "connoted quality, dependability and authority." Dalton was a spelling variation of Dayton. The first store opened in nearby Edina
in August of that year, followed by a second in St. Louis, Missouri
. Although the chain was originally intended to operate in downtowns and suburban areas, the majority of the stores were opened inside regional shopping mall
s. By 1969, Dayton's had merged with Hudson's of Detroit and became Dayton Hudson Corporation (now Target Corporation
).
B. Dalton expanded throughout the 1960s and 1970s, going from twelve stores in 1968 to 125 five years later, peaking at 798 locations in 1986. In 1968, the chain acquired Pickwick Books of California
, which merged in 1979. B. Dalton had stores in 43 of 50 states in 1978, and was second to Waldenbooks
(then the U.S.' largest bookstore) in store numbers, but posted higher profits than its rival. A flagship store opened in Manhattan
in December 1978, and between 1983 and 1986, the chain revived the Pickwick name as a discount bookstore.
sold the B. Dalton chain to Barnes & Noble
. Under Barnes & Noble's ownership, B. Dalton acquired Scribner's of Costa Mesa, California
, and began a video game store called Software, Etc. (now GameStop
). At the same time, the chain began closing outlets and relocating others, while opening other prototypes. By 1997, the chain had shrunk to 528 locations, and continued to close many more over the next decade.
In January 2010 Barnes & Noble closed the last 50 B. Dalton locations.
suburban customers, with stores that featured parquet
flooring and wide aisles. Later on, the store switched to a mass market
approach, allowing for a wider range of titles. B. Dalton was also one of the first chains to display hardcover
and paperback
books side-by-side.
B. Dalton was also a longtime sponsor of the PBS TV series Reading Rainbow
.
chain and was sold to Barnes & Noble. The sale would reunite the Software Etc. chain with its original parent company, B. Dalton. Barnes & Noble would purchase Funco, Inc. in 2000 and merge Babbage's Etc. to become wholly owned subsidiary of Funco. Funco would change its name to GameStop, Inc. and become independent from Barnes & Noble by 2004. Since then, GameStop has phased the Software Etc. name from most stores.
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
bookstore chain founded in 1966 by the Dayton's
Dayton's
Minneapolis-based Dayton's was among the leading department stores in the United States for nearly a century after its founding in 1902 by George Draper Dayton. In 1969, the Detroit-based J.L. Hudson Company merged with the Dayton Corporation to form the Dayton-Hudson Corporation, adding 21...
department store chain. Located primarily in shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
s, B. Dalton competed primarily with Waldenbooks
Waldenbooks
Waldenbooks , operated by the Walden Book Company, Inc., was an American shopping mall-based bookstore chain and a subsidiary of Borders Group. The chain also ran a video game and software chain under the name Waldensoftware as well as a children's edutainment chain under Walden Kids...
, and operated 798 stores at its peak. Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
acquired the chain from Dayton's in 1987, and continued to operate it until a late-2009 announcement that the last fifty stores would be liquidated by January 2010.
History
Dayton'sDayton's
Minneapolis-based Dayton's was among the leading department stores in the United States for nearly a century after its founding in 1902 by George Draper Dayton. In 1969, the Detroit-based J.L. Hudson Company merged with the Dayton Corporation to form the Dayton-Hudson Corporation, adding 21...
, a department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
chain based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, began the B. Dalton chain in 1966. The name B. Dalton was chosen because it "connoted quality, dependability and authority." Dalton was a spelling variation of Dayton. The first store opened in nearby Edina
Edina, Minnesota
Edina is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and a first-ring suburb situated immediately southwest of Minneapolis. Edina began as a small farming and milling community in the 1860s. The population was 47,941 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
in August of that year, followed by a second in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. Although the chain was originally intended to operate in downtowns and suburban areas, the majority of the stores were opened inside regional shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
s. By 1969, Dayton's had merged with Hudson's of Detroit and became Dayton Hudson Corporation (now Target Corporation
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
).
B. Dalton expanded throughout the 1960s and 1970s, going from twelve stores in 1968 to 125 five years later, peaking at 798 locations in 1986. In 1968, the chain acquired Pickwick Books of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, which merged in 1979. B. Dalton had stores in 43 of 50 states in 1978, and was second to Waldenbooks
Waldenbooks
Waldenbooks , operated by the Walden Book Company, Inc., was an American shopping mall-based bookstore chain and a subsidiary of Borders Group. The chain also ran a video game and software chain under the name Waldensoftware as well as a children's edutainment chain under Walden Kids...
(then the U.S.' largest bookstore) in store numbers, but posted higher profits than its rival. A flagship store opened in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
in December 1978, and between 1983 and 1986, the chain revived the Pickwick name as a discount bookstore.
1980s and 1990s
By 1986, discounting practices by rival book chains had caused declining profits for B. Dalton stores, as had the decrease in new shopping malls. As a result of the declining profits, Dayton Hudson CorporationTarget Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
sold the B. Dalton chain to Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
. Under Barnes & Noble's ownership, B. Dalton acquired Scribner's of Costa Mesa, California
Costa Mesa, California
Costa Mesa is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 109,960 at the 2010 census. Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to a primarily suburban and "edge" city with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light...
, and began a video game store called Software, Etc. (now GameStop
GameStop
GameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...
). At the same time, the chain began closing outlets and relocating others, while opening other prototypes. By 1997, the chain had shrunk to 528 locations, and continued to close many more over the next decade.
In January 2010 Barnes & Noble closed the last 50 B. Dalton locations.
Format
Initially, B. Dalton was targeted to middle classMiddle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
suburban customers, with stores that featured parquet
Parquetry
Parquetry is a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect. The two main uses of parquetry are as veneer patterns on furniture and block patterns for flooring. Parquet patterns are entirely geometrical and angular—squares, triangles, lozenges. The most popular parquet flooring...
flooring and wide aisles. Later on, the store switched to a mass market
Mass market
The mass market is a general business term describing the largest group of consumers for a specified industry product. It is the opposite extreme of the term niche market.-General:...
approach, allowing for a wider range of titles. B. Dalton was also one of the first chains to display hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
and paperback
Paperback
Paperback, softback or softcover describe and refer to a book by the nature of its binding. The covers of such books are usually made of paper or paperboard, and are usually held together with glue rather than stitches or staples...
books side-by-side.
B. Dalton was also a longtime sponsor of the PBS TV series Reading Rainbow
Reading Rainbow
Reading Rainbow is an American children's television series aired by PBS from June 6, 1983 until November 10, 2006 that encouraged reading among children. The award-winning public television series garnered over 200 broadcast awards, including scores of Emmy Awards, many for "Outstanding Children's...
.
Software Etc.
In 1986, B. Dalton opened the first Software Etc., which sold video game and entertainment software products. Software Etc. initially began operating in B. Dalton book stores but was spun off in 1987 and began focusing on standalone stores. In 1994, Software Etc. successfully merged with competitor Babbage's. In 1996, NeoStar Retail Group Inc., then owner of Software Etc. and Babbage's, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and put the two chains up for sale. By November, NeoStar had failed to find a buyer and announced in that all 707 stores owned by the company would close in the next year. By November 26, the plan to close the stores were halted as NeoStar's assets were sold to an investor group led by retailer Leonard Riggio. In 1999, the newly formed Babbage's Etc. launched the GameStopGameStop
GameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...
chain and was sold to Barnes & Noble. The sale would reunite the Software Etc. chain with its original parent company, B. Dalton. Barnes & Noble would purchase Funco, Inc. in 2000 and merge Babbage's Etc. to become wholly owned subsidiary of Funco. Funco would change its name to GameStop, Inc. and become independent from Barnes & Noble by 2004. Since then, GameStop has phased the Software Etc. name from most stores.