NEW YORK — Barnes & Noble Chairman Leonard Riggio has told the book seller he is going to try to buy the company's retail business.

Riggio disclosed in a regulatory filing this morning that he wants to acquire the company's stores and website, but not the business that makes the Nook e-reader or the company's college bookstores.

Barnes & Noble has invested heavily in the Nook as more readers have shifted to electronic books and to deal with tough competition from discount stores and online competitors.

The filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission says Riggio will seek to negotiate a price with Barnes & Noble's board and pay for the deal with cash and debt.

Riggio is Barnes & Noble's largest shareholder, with nearly 30 percent of the company's shares.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Home improvement retailer Lowe's says cleanup efforts after Superstorm Sandy helped its fourth-quarter net income surpass expectations.But its net income fell 11 percent from last year's quarter, which included an extra week of revenue.Lowe's net income totaled $288 million, or 26 cents per share, for the three months ended Feb. 1. That's down from $322 million, or 26 cents per share, a year ago. Analysts expected 23 cents per share.