Laura J. Miller, author of Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, wrote that the chain "combined discounting with very wide selection, careful attention to display, and a reliance on sophisticated information systems in order to build a chain that would appeal to affluent, educated readers.

"[3] Jason Epstein, author of Book Business: Publishing Past, Present, and Future, described the chain as being modeled on the supermarket concept.

We simply took the retail business model of Toys R Us — giant single-category stores with large product selections and low prices — and applied it to books.

[12] Barnes & Noble made the acquisition after a multi-month struggle with Crown Books, as both had purchased significant stakes in Bookstop with the aim of acquiring it.

[3][13] Solveig Robinson, author of The Book in Society: An Introduction to Print Culture, wrote that the purchase "gave [Barnes and Noble] the necessary know-how and infrastructure to create what, in 1992, became the definitive bookselling superstore.