Barnes and Noble continued its inability to capitalize on the shuttering of over 600 competing bookstores in 2011, with holiday sales off 10.9% compared to 2011, the company announced today.  Core same store comparables, which exclude Nook e-reader sales, were down 3.1% for the holiday season.  B&N said those sales exceeded its expectations, and it confirmed that it expects fiscal year same store comps to be down in the low- to mid-single digits.

Nook device sales were also down due to lower sales and lower prices, although Nook content sales were up 13.1%.