Taking a cue from Waterstones, the U.K. bookstore chain that dropped the apostrophe from its name for "practical" reasons two years ago, Barnes & Noble has officially changed its corporate name to Barnes & Nobles, adding the "s" primarily in reaction to "common usage" among the vast majority of its patrons.
"Our customers have spoken, and what they've said is 'Barnes & Nobles,' " a company spokesperson explained. "In fact, they've been saying it for years and we believe it is time to respond to the longtime trend. Our employees are trained not to correct them, but ultimately we decided the writing was on the wall. When you think about it, we are a chain with many stores, so the plural option is not illogical." --Robert Gray
