Today Barnes & Noble noted that in store sales increased eight percent (to $1.1 billion) during the nine week holiday period, celebrating the “best comparable store sales performance in more than a decade.” In addition, sales at Barnes & Noble.com increased by 67 percent over the same period, totaling $228.5 million.

Earlier this week, Barnes & Noble reported that December 23, 2010 was the “largest retail sales day ever in the company’s nearly 40-year history.” Yesterday, Credit Suisse upgraded its assessment of the company’s stock. UDPATE: Follow this link to read more about Borders Group news from around the country.

Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch had this statement: “NOOKcolor was one of the most sought-after gifts this holiday season and has quickly become the bestselling device at Barnes & Noble.  And, even more encouraging to us, NOOK’s popularity is helping to drive new sales at both our stores and online, where 60% of NOOKcolor owners are new customers of our Barnes & Noble digital bookstore.”