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Business Movers
Saving Barnes and Noble | Undaunted | 3
Jan 23, 2025
James Daunt, the British bookseller known for revitalizing Waterstones and Barnes & Noble, discusses his transformative leadership during a turbulent time. The conversation highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the closure of numerous stores, pushing Daunt to accelerate a redesign and shift the business model. He also shares insights on converting Amazon's former locations into community-focused Barnes & Noble stores, emphasizing the importance of balancing corporate strategy with local engagement in the evolving bookselling landscape.
32:34
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Quick takeaways
- James Daunt seized the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to transform Barnes & Noble's business model by decentralizing decision-making and enhancing community connections.
- Daunt's strategy significantly reduced book returns from 30% to 7%, resulting in millions saved in logistics costs and revitalizing sales amidst challenging times.
Deep dives
Isaac's Job Loss and Emotional Turmoil
In March 2020, Isaac, a sales associate at Barnes & Noble, faced an unexpected job loss as the company began closing stores due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite his strong work ethic and previously unblemished performance, his manager communicated it was a corporate mandate beyond individual control. Isaac pleaded to keep his position, revealing his financial difficulties and concerns about his sick mother, which tugged at his manager's heartstrings. Ultimately, Isaac was able to remain employed with a small crew tasked to reorganize store layouts, illustrating both personal versus corporate realities in the midst of a global crisis.
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Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode