Books-A-Million

Books-A-Million

Books-A-Million, Inc., also known as BAM!, is a company that owns the second largest U.S. bookstore chain and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. The company operates over 200 stores in the South, Midwest, and Northeast United States. As of 2010, the company had about 5,500 employees.

In addition to its flagship Books-A-Million superstore division, the company also operates the stores branded Books & Company and book and greeting card stores under the name Bookland. The company's stores mainly operate within either shopping malls or lifestyle centers. Most Books-A-Million stores feature Joe Muggs cafés. Additionally, there are a few standalone Joe Muggs newsstands. These are located in the Birmingham area.

In addition to its primary retail component, the corporation includes a book wholesale and distribution subsidiary, American Wholesale Book Company (AWBC), an e-commerce division operating as booksamillion.com, and an internet development and services company, NetCentral, in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2011, Books-A-Million became the second largest book retailer in the United States, trailing only Barnes & Noble, after the announcement from larger rival Borders Group that it was liquidating all of its assets and going out of business.