The Epic Comeback of Barnes & Noble

Once dismissed as the next big retail casualty, Barnes & Noble had all the makings of a cautionary tale—shrinking sales, shuttered stores, and a revolving door of leadership. But in a surprising turn of the page, the bookstore giant is not only surviving—it’s thriving. Today, Sammi unpacks the epic comeback story of Barnes & Noble under the leadership of James Daunt.

You’ll hear how the company pivoted away from a centralized, cookie-cutter model to embrace local community tastes, redesigned stores to rekindle the magic of browsing, and rode the wave of BookTok to win back readers. From understanding the brand’s original rise and near-fall, to dissecting the bold strategies behind its revival, this episode explores what Barnes & Noble’s rebound says about the future of retail—and why the story is far from over.

Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 – Why Barnes & Noble Is a Case Worth Studying
01:08 – The Origin Story of Barnes & Noble’s Empire

02:56 – The Beginning of the End of Barnes & Noble

04:42 – The Amazon of it All06:15 – Leadership Turmoil and the 80% Fall in Stock Price

08:10 – The Unexpected Turnaround and B&N’s MVP

10:19 – James Daunt’s Playbook for Success

11:42 – The Comeback: Growth, Expansion and BookTok

14:54 – The Future of Retail: Lessons from Barnes & Noble

16:51 – How to Show Social Currency Some Love

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