Barnes & Noble looks to Borders

Barnes & Noble, the US' largest book chain by sales, has assembled a team of executives and advisers to study the possibility of acquiring the number two chain Borders, according to a person familiar with the situation, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Whether such a deal would pass antitrust hurdles is unclear. Barnes & Noble has about 20% to 22% of the retail book market, while Borders controls 10% to 12%, estimates Albert Greco, a professor at the Fordham Graduate School of Business.