The bookstore chain said sales suffered from lower store traffic and a decline in demand for the once-hot coloring books for grownups that had helped spur sales of art supplies. Barnes & Noble also blamed the absence of new music from British singer-songwriter Adele: Her third studio album "25," issued in November 2015, become the largest-selling CD in the retailer’s history.
The demise of the adult coloring book trend and the lack of an Adele-caliber blockbuster music release together accounted for a third of Barnes & Noble's holiday sales decline, according to a press release.