Books-A-Million
Books-A-Million is a major privately-owned book retailer headquartered at 402 Industrial Lane in Birmingham's Oxmoor Industrial Park. Terrance Finley is the company's chief executive officer.
The company was founded by 13-year-old Clyde Anderson in 1917 as a street corner news stand in Florence, Lauderdale County. He started out selling books, newspapers and fireworks out of a shed pieced together from old piano crates in order to support his siblings after the death of their father.
In the 1950s, under the guidance of Anderson's son Charles, the company expanded its book store business, opening Bookland stores across the South. Books-A-Million superstores started opening in the 1980s as Anderson pursued the concept of making a bookstore into a destination retailer. In 1992, he took the company public on the Nasdaq exchange.
In 2011, Books-A-Million became the second-largest book retailer in the United States after Borders Group announced that it was liquidating all of its assets and going out of business. The company purchased 14 of Borders' locations in August 2011. In late 2015 the Anderson family resumed controlling interest in Books-A-Million, returning it to private ownership.
Between 2005 and 2014, Books-A-Million reported net revenues of $474 million to $504 million. By 2011 the company had over 200 stores in 23 states and the District of Columbia, and employed around 5,500 people. In 2014, Books-A-Million was singled out by 24/7 Wall Street as America's worst company to work for, citing low satisfaction among employees due to, "high stress and low pay...low chance of promotion, [and] hours are based on magazine and discount card sales."
In addition to its Bookland and Books-A-Million stores, the company has also operated news stands under the Joe Muggs name. The Books & Company badge, formerly used on its Brookwood Village store to signal a more sophisticated and comprehensive flagship store, was later retired. In 2021 the company launched a "2nd & Charles" division which buys and sells used books, toys, games and music alongside new merchandise. That division expanded to 41 stores in 17 states in 2021.
Books-A-Million also operates two book wholesale and distribution subsidiaries, American Wholesale Book Company and Book$mart, Inc., both located in Florence; an e-commerce division operating as booksamillion.com; and acquired an internet development and services company, NetCentral, based in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999.
The Yogurt Mountain chain of frozen yogurt shops is wholly-owned by Books-A-Million. The company also has a commercial real estate development and management division, operating as Preferred Growth Properties.
Officers
The company is headed by CEO Terrance Finley. Clyde B. Anderson, grandson of the founder, is executive chairman of the board. Douglas Markham became chief financial officer after Richard Wallington's retirement on July 5, 2006. Todd Noden was named president of the company in December 2019.
CEOs
- Clyde B. Anderson, –2004
- Sandra Cochran, 2004–2009
- Clyde B. Anderson, 2009–2012
- Terrance Finley, 2012–
Locations
Current stores
- Books-A-Million store #108: Propst Promenade, Alabaster (2005–present)
- Books-A-Million store #181: 5287 U.S. Highway 280, Brook Highland Plaza, Birmingham
- Books-A-Million store #394: 3429 Lowery Parkway, Promenade Fultondale, Fultondale (November 3, 2007–)
- Books-A-Million store #216: 1624 Gadsden Highway, Colonial Promenade Tutwiler Farm, Trussville (2000–)
- Books-A-Million store #299: 719 2nd Avenue Northwest, Cullman
Former stores
- Books-A-Milion
- Eastwood Mall, Birmingham (1989–February 25, 2006)
- Books-A-Million store #180: Brookwood Village, Homewood (2006– May 2020, formerly Books & Company)
- Books-A-Million store #202: Hoover Commons, Hoover
- Books-A-Million store #220: Wildwood North, Homewood (c. 2001–September 2011)
- Bookland
- Brookwood Village, Homewood (c. 1980s)
- Century Plaza, Birmingham (1970s–1990s)
- Store #200, Riverchase Galleria, Hoover (1986–January 13, 2007)
- Books & Company
- Brookwood Village, Homewood (2002–2006, rebranded as Books-A-Million)
- Joe Muggs
- Joe Muggs store #197: 2037 Cahaba Road, English Village, Mountain Brook (1990s)
- Five Points South, Birmingham (–May 1, 2005)
- Joe Muggs store #219: 238 Summit Boulevard, The Summit, Birmingham (August 4, 2001–2007)
References
- Milazzo, Don (June 9, 2000) "Old Navy sailing to Wildwood North location." Birmingham Business Journal.
- "Joe Muggs opens fourth, fifth newsstands" (August 7, 2001) Birmingham Business Journal
- "Books-A-Million joins shops in Alabaster" (January 5, 2005) The Birmingham News
- "5 Points' Joe Muggs to close" (March 29, 2005) The Birmingham News
- "Bookstore leaving Eastwood" (February 22, 2006) The Birmingham News
- Wilkinson, Kaija (June 23, 2006) "Books-A-Million takes steps to grow top line." Birmingham Business Journal
- "Bookland store at the Galleria closes" (c. January 2007) The Hoover Gazette.
- Goodman, Sherri C. (February 15, 2007) "Books-A-Million has room to grow." The Birmingham News
- Goodman, Sherri C. (April 1, 2007) "Birmingham business bound for success." The Birmingham News
- Cooper, Lauren B. (March 13, 2009) "Books-A-Million CEO Sandra Cochran resigns." Birmingham Business Journal
- Poe, Ryan (October 27, 2011) "Books-A-Million expands its BAM! brand." Birmingham Business Journal
- Poe, Ryan (March 13, 2012) "Books-A-Million names new CEO". Birmingham Business Journal
- West, Ty (December 10, 2015) "Books-A-Million completes $21M deal to go private." Birmingham Business Journal
- "Books-A-Million names new president." (December 27, 2019) Birmingham Business Journal
- Thornton, William (May 28, 2020) "Books-A-Million closes Brookwood Village location." The Birmingham News
External links
- Books-A-Million, Inc. company website
- BAMM.com online shopping