Dive Brief:

• New York City-based Barnes & Noble Inc. Tuesday announced the May 2 retirement of Mitchell Klipper, CEO of its retail operations.

• Klipper, who has been with the company for 28 years, will assist in finding his replacement and will stay on as a special adviser, including in real estate matters.

• The change comes at time when the bookseller’s retail sales are stabilizing as it works to separate its digital Nook business from retail operations.

Dive Insight:

Things were looking fairly dire for Barnes & Noble a few months ago. But its same-store sales are better than previously estimated, largely due to somewhat better book sales overall and to the retailer’s beefing up of non-book offerings in stores.

With the failure of its Nook business, its upcoming move to spin its digital business off, many say, bodes well both for Nook and Barnes & Noble’s retail operations. The company's new CEO will come aboard as the retailer begins to write its next chapter in earnest.