Oh, how very exciting to possibly have the opportunity to browse interesting books & talk with articulate people in a charming, inviting, unsterile environment before I leave this corporeal world. I do so miss disappearing into all the parallel worlds that exist there.
7
If he does nothing more than fixing the god-awful chairs, he will be overwhelmingly successful. The current chairs could cripple an Olympic athlete.
5
Ah, the false dichotomy: Amazon or a corporate behemoth owned by an investment management firm.
Book buyers, remember the local bookstore, if you're lucky enough to live close to one. Find yours at Indie Bound.
7
In the UK, Daunts & Waterstones are on city streets where people walk by & randomly stop in & browse.The stores aren’t large but everything is displayed well & catches the eye. The employees are engaged & are readers. They are fun to talk to & have good suggestions. In the US B&N has moved to the mall and the stores are too big. The employees are too overworked to be engaging & helpful. You have to stand in long lines at check out & frankly it’s not so fun to drive there & face those big stores & long lines, it’s too overwhelming. Amazon is easier. Hope Mr. Daunt will pare it down & get out of the malls maybe place them on “main street” where people like to walk . They need to get back to the business of selling books & not toys & chocolates.
9
If B&N wants to save itself, how about not asking people at checkout, not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES if they want to become members.
We hate Amazon but we've stopped going to B&N just to avoid the harassment every time!
"Do you want to sign up for membership and save 15%?"
"No thank you."
"Are you sure? If you sign up, you'll save 15%."
"No thank you."
"You can save 15% on this sale, you just need to become a member. Do you want to join?"
At this point, I'm ready to walk away without paying.
We've taken all our business to independent stores where we don't get interrogated like this every time!
8
For retail to survive and thrive, it has to run counter to what amazon has to offer. Amazon offers convenience, low costs, wide selection, all of which no one in retail can compete with. If B&N (or any other) is to outfox amazon, it has to offer something more, or something completely different that amazon can never offer. Retail experience that delights, is something that amazon online can never offer. That's how Apple differentiates itself with Apple Store. That's also why amazon goes to retail after decimating it in the two decades when it ascends, buying Whole Foods for retail grocery, and setting up its own concept stores for both grocery and bookstores.
Waterstones, in that respect, has it right. It allows individual stores to customize store formats for its clientele, while achieving economy of scales, operating almost like franchise. The old format of huge B&N stores will likely disappear, to be replaced by smaller stores which are less costly and far more nimble and flexible to cater to local customers.
I still buy physical books from time to time since I like them. But it's only for those that I want to keep for a very long time. Mostly these days I buy ebooks, and I use B&N. It's convenient to build my library with hundred of books that I can read while traveling. I can download them on multiple nooks that my kids (in college) can read too. When technology works, it works beautifully (like B&N and nook do for me).
2
I gave up on the local Barnes & Noble years ago but might return if it were completely overhauled. Large as the place is, I could never find what I wanted there. The place seemed like a corporate vision by people who had never read a book or known a bookworm. The non-book items on display increased in number as they decreased in quality.
It's a mistake for bookstores to attempt to be toy shops and more. It wrecks the ambiance. I don't even want to see stuffed animals made of characters from the books. Just books, please, with good non-fluorescent light and comfortable places to sit, and perhaps (if the store is big) a small corner for high-quality greeting cards, note paper, and possibly bookmarks.
11
I am not sure what the sustainable business model for bookstores will be, but I do believe we need the retail democracy they provide. They are one of the few "community centers" where people of all ages and backgrounds can linger, browse, and peacefully co-exist in a space that, when done right, supports community and serendipity.
3
My favorite bookstore was Dutton’s, located in Brentwood (Los Angeles); it closed in 2008, but I can still close my eyes and remember the charm, eccentricity, and warmth of the place, with narrow aisles and books stacked from floor to ceiling. They had everything. Most of their sales staff were studying Literature at nearby UCLA, or had graduated years before and couldn’t bear to leave. Their enthusiasm and knowledge encouraged me to buy anything they recommended, and many of them sit on my bookshelf still, now dog-eared.
If this is the sort of place he wants to turn Barnes & Noble into, I’ll never buy another book from Amazon.
4
My experience in BN has been generally positive, small sample size, I frequent only two. Are expectations higher for them than most other retailers? Great piece by the way.
1
About ten years ago, my cousin reported to me sadly that our hometown in southwest Pennsylvania no longer had a bookstore. Initially thinking that she felt the loss more keenly than most would because she was an English teacher, it didn’t entirely sink in until I visited home. I saw that and other changes, none of which gave me hope for where my hometown was headed. Since then, the rise of anger and hatred in the country has often reminded me of my cousin’s lament, and has made me think that perhaps the loss of a bookstore carries far more meaning than most of us (60% at least) would like. We should never forget that there are at least two sides to every story, and that it would behoove us all to listen to them before we jump to conclusions. Wishing Mr. Daunt the very best in this troubled world.
2
Waterstones has been in the US before. They came and went over twenty years ago in Chicago without making a lasting impression on the book buying citizenry. They weren't able to compete with strong local and national booksellers or the new book 'superstores' which themselves have come and gone. I don't think that tilting Barnes and Nobles' shelves three degrees is going to in impress Chicagoans, they better have more substantial tricks up their sleeves. Barnes and Noble was never a particularly interesting bookstore, they seem to have hung on by turning themselves into a Hallmark shop with a Starbucks in the corner and a few books upstairs. How about turning it into a real bookstore? That might be a novelty that actually works. Oh, and would you mind getting rid of the thirty year old store graphics of Virginia Woolf, Oscar Wilde et al.? They may have been the latest thing in the '80s, but they're beyond tired today.
3
No trip to the UK is ever complete without a visit to Waterstones. Nearly every time I discover a book that I wouldn't otherwise have found if I didn't browse its shelves. From the feeling as I enter the shop to the helpful staff to the joy of finding something new or rare, I look forward to the experience every time.
Not only that, but I visit more than one Waterstones in London because no two are exactly the same. I read vintage crime fiction and the Piccadilly store has a large selection of re-published titles. I then go to the Bloomsbury store on Gower Street as it has a different neighborhood feel entirely in a lovely old building. Did you know that they have vintage, used green Penguin detective fiction where I have found a few special titles? In the crime/detective fiction section, they intermix some vintage, used books on the shelves along with the new titles. I scan every shelf there and what a nice feeling to discover a vintage "treasure". I will return again and again for this experience.
As an American, I look forward to see what Mr. Daunt can do with Barnes & Noble to save it from extinction.
2
Ambience and experience draw people in, but price helps move books out the door. I don't mind paying a few dollars extra in a brick-and-mortar bookstore, but please don't ask me to pay $10 more than Amazon for the same book.
2
What we need is more independent bookstores and not just one store in the area to go to. The Barnes and Noble in my area is located in a Simon's managed mall, has inadequate parking for handicapped people and I have seen this day, many of them to be exact, where I had to walk a half a mile to the store and dodge mall traffic to get inside the store. They do not have the books that I want and generally, if I am purchasing in the US, I simply call Powells which has about everything. I also buy a lot of books directly from Oxford University Press. I also often go the a private bookstore in Princeton, NJ. Sure it takes a week to get it and I have a postage rate added, but being crippled and walking into B&N where all of the main floor is crowded with books with no value at all to me and have to take the escalator to the second floor and getting on an off the escalator is very uncomfortable for me, and I would guess anyone else that is handicapped.
2
This is going to be interesting. I am a regular patron of both B&N and an Amazon bookstore in Paramus, NJ, and the stores do things quite differently, and it doesn't seem to be just a matter of size, although in the last few weeks, Amazon seems to have lost interest. Finding something new and interesting is sometimes a bit of a problem at B&N, although they do a reasonably good job with the limitations mentioned in the article. I was just at B&N Paramus this week, and the staff is working much harder to help people choose books -- and there is a secondhand area in that store, which is great. Amazon in Paramus has to be constantly curated since it is so small, and the last time I was there, it looked like the curatorial staff was on vacation -- empty spaces and the same books on two visits. I like Mr. Daunt's ideas -- good luck to him. B&N is good, but it can be great.
There is simply something about a bookstore that seems free. Free of judgement, free of controversy, free of prejudice. I have always told my two sons, reading is like a vacation. Bookstores are a must on this spinning rock we all live on.
4
Listening attentively to its audience, then following through in every detail, then repeating that process every day and everywhere it conducts its business. What a refreshingly welcome and successful concept!
1
Driving South on Route 13 in Delaware you pass into the Eastern Shore of Maryland and the outskirts of Salisbury. The traffic lights will slow you down affording some time to look around. If you stay in the right hand lane, you will have the opportunity to see a Barnes and Noble Bookstore anchoring one end of a shopping mall. On the other end is Panera. It is time for you to leave the highway for a visit to an Oasis for Readers and their families. This Barnes and Nobel is the opportunity to pick up your Summer reads for the beach. It is more importantly, the only major bookstore for miles around. It is the place where serious readers find a place to gather have a coffee and talk books. If this Barnes and Noble were to close, an important piece of what makes regional culture will die. For those of us who enjoy reading books and chatting it up with other readers, this is our Oasis. Please stop by and enjoy what makes life for us an important stop for you. And, no I do not work for Barnes & Noble or Panera. I’m an 81 year old retired academic living nearby.
I publish an indie mag and found Barnes & Noble impossible to work with, so I stopped selling to them and focused on working with indie shops. B&N ordered way more than they could sell so as to have nice displays, they make you work with an expensive middle man, their social media was terrible, and when I stopped by locations around the country, the staff could never find my mag even though the computer said it was in stock. It felt like working with a dinosaur. But a sincere good luck, Mr. Durant! I worked at Spring Street Books back in the day and adore vibrant shops like Books Are Magic. The world needs thriving book stores, today more than ever.
3
Sounds great until the bit about Waterstones’ employees not being able to pay for rent and food and Daunt basically saying so what!
I love book stores and I want them to be wonderful places for people to congregate, buy books and read but I also want them to be good employers. I think they can do both. Too bad, Rich CEOs like Daunt don’t agree with me.
2
Not one size fits all. Big business is way behind the public sector in this discovery. American public libraries changed their entire evaluation system in the 1980s to recognize that each library is literally unique in its user population, and a collection that works for Santa Fe is not going to necessarily work in Salem, MA. I am mildly amazed that it took this long for giant chain operations to come to this realization. Kudos to Mr. Daunt, and I hope he can resuscitate Barnes & Noble.
3
I'm looking forward to the new regime. It can only get better - for customers. And for employees (I am one). Morale is low. Pay is low but a little better since minimum wage went to $15. About 2 years ago, the company got rid of many of the higher paid employees (people who knew and loved books) A nationwide purge. (Didn't even make the news)
Fewer employees means more work for the rest of us. That is the new normal in may workplaces. But morale is low. Employees used to get one hour for lunch. Then 45 minutes. Now we are given a 30 minute meal break plus another 15 minute break elsewhere in the workday - which can NOT be attached to the meal break. Try getting lunch somewhere and eating it in New York City. Even if you bring lunch it can be a challenge. People are not able to finish their sandwiches. Or they are eating chips and cookies and calling it a meal. We are stressed. We have indigestion. We have indignation. What we frequently don't have are paper towels. Sometimes soap. One time toilet paper.
.
Most of us work very hard. We want the customers to have the books they want. We want them to buy from US rather than Amazon. Help us help the customers. Give us a break. Literally. Long enough to eat in peace. And assign someone to go through the Sunday Times Book Review on Wednesday so that by the weekend we have what the customers will be asking for.
6
Let me be frank. You want to succeed: lower the prices of the books. Amazon discounts many books either follow or bn is doomed.
It's disheartening to read articles about all these innovative business geniuses who make tens and hundreds of millions of dollars for their investors and shareholders, but can't seem to find a way to pay their minions a living wage.
I've gotten to the jaded point where I now believe that businesses that can't afford to pay decent wages and treat their employees like human beings instead of cogs don't deserve to be in business.
I'm tired of the sly but totally false insinuation that if I spent more money at their mega stores, they could afford to pay their employees better. Nonsense, doesn't happen.
As much as I love books, I can't bring myself to feel any differently about these businesses, oak paneled shelves, soft lighting, and mood music notwithstanding.
8
I was a regular patron of B&N's stores and online service. However, I thought Borders was superior in stores, and as I eventually found out, Amazon had the superior online service. When Borders went out of business, and B&N cut back their membership discount from 20% to 10%, I became a regular Amazon customer. For what it's worth, I remember B&N when it was essentially a textbook operation located around 18th Street.
1
He won’t make it. There are too many cultural differences between a real bookstore and what BN has become.
Our B&N is chock full of “non-book” items when you enter and to get to the books I usually want purchase I have to walk 1/2 across the store and go up an escalator. The whole place is really just too big. I also think there are just too many mediocre books. As a reader I am glad I can still walk into a book store but frankly , the chains drove the end of small sellers... perhaps it’s time for them to end and the independents will come back.
2
if no one is answering the phones, perhaps the store’s employees are not only underpaid but understaffed as well.
4
At the bottom of the picture,it says that "Mr.Daunt aims to instill a sense of urgency in the chain's employees"...hmm,what does that mean......answer the phones sooner,go fetch a title...?
1
"“These are my stores, so I went with three degrees.” This quote suggests that Mr. Daunt owns Waterstones. Later, the story refers to it as "privately held," furthering fudging who owns Waterstones. Would the story have been more complete had the reporter clarified who actually owns Waterstones . . and now, apparently, Barnes & Noble?
1
I LOVE B&N but their staff here are rubbish. And they don't sell CDs any more. I LOVE my CDs! We have two here with a population of 250,000. Hope it works!
I just had the pleasure of visiting several Waterstones where the book buying experience was an absolute delight. I discovered several new titles and the browsing was top notch.
It's going to be a long road to overcome the strip mall homogeneity of B&N where unloved and uninteresting books are dwarfed by massive offerings of electronics and kids toys. I don't even consider it a book store anymore.
10
@K. I so agree. I recently visited a B&N in Manhattan after a number of years away from the city and it was a very disheartening experience. It seemed books were the least important things sold. Just inside the door, where one would expect to find a display of new fiction and nonfiction, I found instead a rustic table with $200. soup tureen. What does THAT mean? How does one end up buying asoup tureen in a bookstore?? It can only be an impulse buy, but how utterly surreal.
2
I have taken to exploring and shopping in, used bookstores. I can’t afford the high price of new books in retirement.
There are several in Philadelphia and I can usually find good books in good condition.
5
@Robert
Local public libraries also sell donated books to augment their shrinking budgets. I find the rare gem on their shelves.
I shop at Barnes & Noble all the time. So glad to hear Mr. Daunt is going to save it.
PLEASE continue to sell AUDIO BOOKS!
I listen to Audiobooks in my car, and have since Books on Tape came out in the 80's. Also I have friends who are dyslexic, and audio books allow them to listen to lots of books.
So for the sake of all booklovers who have poor eyesight please continue to sell AUDIO BOOKS. There are a lot of great readers doing audio books these days.
9
The Amazon owned Audible has all the audio books you could ever imagine. I have dozens immediately available on my iPhone.
Even though I only worked part time at a Barnes & Noble it was obvious how much pressure the employees were under to ignore common sense. I was chastised for putting customers' purchases in bags that were "too nice" which meant too large. I was raked over the coals for spending too much time talking to individual customers. I was nearly fired for helping a customer standing right in front of me because I should have been ignoring him and answering the phone. I treated customers they way I would want booksellers to treat me, but I was wrong.
21
Hooray! Waterstone's turnaround story exemplifies that what is important to retail success is a combination of stocking the products consumers want at a reasonable price, presented in an attractive manner within a desirable environment and conveniently located store. Bring back the expert buyers, merchandisers, product-knowledgeable sales staff with consumer service skills, and corporate real estate planners and we might see resurgence of retail industry.
5
Daunt's is my favorite bookstore, especially because of its staff. A few years ago, I was browsing in the Daunt's on Marylebone High Street (the one in this article's photos), with a gift voucher in hand. I couldn't decide on which new books to buy. One of the staff said, "Tell me some of the books you've loved, and I will recommend some others." I bought all of his recommendations, and every one has been a fantastic read. For those of you who are ready to criticize the low wages: Stop shopping at Amazon. Start paying full price for books. You'll be paying for good wages, good advice and good books. What could be better than that?
24
Daunts is my favorite too! I’m a kid in a candy store in there! ( Holland Park Ave, Nottinghlill)Their selection is terrific. They have a lot of our favorites but also books published in the UK & abroad that don’t seem to make to the US. Somehow, its not so commercial, they are in the business of selling books and not other stuff.
My fingers are crossed B&N can be turned around. It’s depressing to watch our bookstores close up.
1
Every time a Barnes and Noble store closes, it leaves not only an ugly gap in a shopping mall but a tiny hole in a book lover's heart. With people increasingly buying the same style of clothing by the millions, books have become perhaps the most personal of purchases. Their appeal ranges from meeting an old friend to stumbling on a curiosity you can't resist. Browsing, guided by a bookseller's astute arrangements and recommendations, is the primary joy. At Waterstone's and Daunt bookshops the pleasure begins the moment you walk in the door. If anyone can recall Barnes and Noble to life (as Dr. Manette was in "A Tale of Two Cities"), it's Mr. Daunt.
5
Hope all works for B&N, for business and for education and pleasure of immersing in a book. How far are you from a book store today? Before the online commerce, there were many great bookstores. Not just for English-readers. Think Paris, Milano, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Frankfurt or Lisboa. With commerce and demographic shifts, a reduced number of bookstores are located now mostly in large urban centers. Even university's neighborhoods have lost many of stores. I hope that B&N becomes a cathedral for the faithful. But what is the corner bookstore model that could provide easy access to all to enjoy the pleasure of discovering a good reading on paper? Meanwhile, I hope the mail continues to ring the doorbell with the next reading. To visit a B&N, I have to drive 30 miles. To visit a better bookstore, the distance is 90 miles.
1
Your employees might do better at answering the phone if you had enough of them.
5
I think Daunt’s general message here is, don’t call, visit. That is, sell books to customers in the store, do not spend time on the telephone. I, on the other hand, wish more customers would call first, to see whether their desired book is on hand, avoiding one complaint here: “ If I wanted to order a book, I would use Amazon.” Please, order your books from the bookseller, you’ll get better service.
3
Gower Street branch is brilliant but Hatchard's on Piccadilly is beautiful. There was a bit of a fuss when Waterstones took on Hatchard's but it is a delight with knowledgeable book sellers rather than assistants and they take a real pride in their job. Pretty as a picture too, especially at Christmas. Google it. Fear not Barnes and Noble devotees.
7
I first encountered B&N in NY in the 1970s. At that time, it sold all books at a discount—20% if I remember correctly. It was still a local chain at that point. When I moved to NJ in the late 80s, the local B&N became my bookstore of choice. They still offered discounts, but over time the discounts got less and less and were finally eliminated, unless you bought a membership. But even then, the discounts were lower.
The quality of the merchandise? Well that’s gotten worse too. Fewer titles, less depth. There used to be a Borders down the block from my B&N. I would look for a book first at B&N, not find it, and then get it at Borders. Since then, B&N has gotten worse and worse. They’ve become sellers of toys, stationary, and miscellaneous tchotchkes instead of books. I don’t know what percentage of their profit comes from these items, but it doesn’t sound like this strategy is working for them.
I don’t know the financial realities of selling books these days, but I sometimes wonder if B&N would have more success if they went back to their original model and sold books at a discount. They might well be able to give Amazon a run for their money.
11
Hooray for trying to save good bookstores. But boo to maintaining "success" by not paying workers a livable wage. Even shiny red apples can have worms in them.
6
We’ve visited many Waterstones stores (primarily in London, but also in other cities) and half of the Daunt Books stores. We loved all of them; the overall ambiance and appearance, the terrific selection, and the personnel. In fact, it was a manager at one of London’s Waterstones locations who told us (during a delightful conversation on June 10) that Barnes & Noble would soon have new owners.
I’ve been a Barnes & Noble customer for a very long time and I was also a long-time customer of Borders. I visit(ed) locations of both stores throughout the U.S., although I also visit independent bookstores whenever I’m in their vicinity. I must confess that I’ve ordered many books from Amazon, since I buy photography & art books almost exclusively and they’re usually pricey. However, I’ve been receiving an increasing number of damaged books from Amazon and I’m probably approaching the point whereby it’s not worth the savings.
I visit the (NYC) Union Square store quite often and it's my very favorite. I must also recommend B&N’s Harborplace store (in Baltimore); it’s inside a former power plant, and both the interior & exterior are *gorgeous*.
Lastly; I was in contact with James Daunt several years ago (long story) and I was very impressed with him. It’s my fervent hope that he can indeed manage to revive Barnes & Noble, as it has a very long history and it’s been a real mainstay of American bookselling.
89
Yikes! The article was going so well as an introduction to Waterstones until the pesky author had to bring up the subject of staff begging to be paid a living wage...
124
I join the chorus of NYT readers who hope Mr. Daunt can turnaround B&N like Waterstones. As a graduate fellow who spent a year rotating through Random House in the early 90s, I got to visit the warehouse and watch the returned books get mulched. I'm not sure if the business of books has changed much since then, but the whole set up of letting booksellers buy books and then return the unsold ones didn't make much sense to me, especially when I saw the mulching.
I was also one of the first to shop Amazon for books, which is something I don't do much anymore (except the occasions where my son needs a book for school) because it's a dreary experience. Instead I shop B&N's website to support it, but I really wish their stores were more inviting because I'd visit the last few ones near me more often if I felt that I'd get more out of it. It would be great to get book recommendations, which is something I've found I can do--from the LA Public Library website!
7
The new Barnes & Noble podcast is a good start. I enjoy it.
2
He is doing exactly what I would have told him to do. Bookstore success is based on individuality, not chain mentality. Our neighborhood B&N has never catered to the people in the neighborhood, nevertheless it is busy. The only other bookstore is a small independent for cultured people.
4
A business model that does not provide employees with enough to pay rent and eat is not a business model. It's as true for Waterstones, Barnes and Nobles and Amazon.
Maybe the investors need to make a little less so everybody else can live.
208
@no one special I agree, I enjoyed the article but came away with this too. Is there any way to make work pay in this world? As in the story about Irish housing, I think we have to control the property owners. Global 10% with all the power will destroy all of us earthlings.
30
@no one special
Unfortunately, this is the reality of retail.
Everyone seems to win but the employees.
24
Please work your magic here Mr Daunt. Bookstores should be wonderful places filled with literary delights. Instead they’re an endangered species. I hope you can turn that around.
124
So totally refreshing to see a man in a suit and read that his values are aligned with mine. No hypocrisy, no lies, no divisive thinking, bad mouthing or insults. No nothing except drive, committment and wanting the very best for his passion...which happily happens to be BOOKS! Yay!!!! Thank you for this enormous breath of literacy, and fresh air in these dark times of frequently skewed and distorted personalities along with their disgusting news.
363
@susan paul
Yes, indeed but his job won't be easy.
4
@susan paul If he wasn't born in another country, we could nominate him for president.
7
@susan paul
I'll completely agree with you when he decides it's more important to pay employees a living wage than to enrich investors.
14
I worked at a B&N in NYC for 6 years. I was lucky enough to work with clever, well-read buyers and merchandisers. What I realized after a time was that 99% of these intelligent people felt wasted and frustrated by the suffocating structure and lack of vision that corporate put upon them. None of these employees seemed happy working there. I always hoped that a classic "shop around the corner" would exist again. I can't wait for the change to take place in my city. Thank you, Mr. D.!
61
If a modern day book store wants to succeed they need to rethink the entire industry from author to bookseller. Technology is here and there is no going back. Which may not be a bad thing if we use our heads. Here's one vision we might work for with books:
Create the book focused and unique experience spaces that Mr Daunt has championed. But make sure that a patron in the store can purchase a paper version, e version, and audible version all on sight.
Next cut the publishers out of the link. They really add no value to the products these days.
Next, book sellers could curate lists of informed book critics that readers can follow for recommendations on new books. Perhaps these critics could be employed by the bookstores.
Build web platforms that allow readers to compile lists of favorite books and topics of interest. And that can then generate email announcements of new book arrivals that are specific to a person's interest.
Nurture the relationship between author and bookseller.
Then you'd have a store that provides daily life enrichment and becomes a focus of people with interest in books and ideas. At the same time you provide the tech many want.
If libraries can keep up with the times and provide access to information then some one should be able to come up with a NEW business model that supports the generation of new authors and a way for the industry of books and ideas to thrive.
4
Great news for all of us who love books. I was in Waterson's in London in 2010--what a beautiful store.
I NEVER buy books from Amazon. If something's out of print, I buy it from Better World Books. They have an astounding selection of used books, many in very good condition, even stuff that's out of print. Also, you can donate books in good condition to them, which they will give to schools and libraries in low-income areas.
B & N has changed in Fort Collins--I think, for the better. Yes, still way too many tsotsches and toys, but the clerks all love books and are very helpful in finding things for you. Also, those coupons I keep getting are VERY addicting.
I look forward to B & N's turnaround.
8
I was just thinking the same thing. I implore the NYT to feature articles like these in their headlines and focus a little less on the circus side show in the White House. We truly need a reprieve from his every tweet and outburst.
I thoroughly enjoyed the article and as a bibliophile, I completely agree with the changes needed at B&N. Good luck, Mr. Daunt, and I'll be waiting to see these much needed with excitement and anticipation!
10
Perhaps I missed it while reading the article, but when will Barnes and Noble start changing? I'm looking forward to different table legs and all the other changes that will make it feel more personable.
3
I don't buy from Amazon.
They are the bane of the retail trade, whatever they sell.
Imagine a future when Amazon has swallowed all book stores and all other stores, and one has no option but to buy online.
Horrible.
12
Bravo Daunt! And please make B&N the bookstore it used to be: loaded with books of every kind, that will lure every passionate reader to want again to simply browse the shelves and, hopefully, come upon a book that one does not need to order from Amazon!
4
Daunt's management style of letting local stores choose their own book selection is similar to that of the Japanese discount store Don Quijote, whose managers are given free reign over inventory and product placement. It's quite simple: believe in your workers' abilities instead of micromanaging them.
10
"when you leave the store [Barnes & Noble] you feel mildly betrayed. Not massively, but mildly. It’s a bit ugly — there’s piles of crap around the place. It all feels a bit unloved, the booksellers look a bit miserable, it’s all a bit run down."
I shop at Barnes & Noble a lot ( there are 3 branches near where I live) and I don't get that impression at all. Did he happen to visit a poorly run branch, or is he exaggerating the problems so that he will look good as its "rescuer" ?
3
Ended up spending far too much time and pounds at Waterstones on a trip to the UK. I wish Mr. Daunt well—we used to go to BN often but like others have drifted away because the stores are unwelcoming and the selection is poor. But let’s not forget that many communities have indie bookstores that also need our support.
4
I go to London regularly and every time, I visit the wonderful Daunt's Books in Marylebone (whose photo is in the article) and Hatchards on Piccadilly, and usually one or two other bookstores that Daunt oversees. The staff know the books and make informed suggestions, and invariably I can tell sense they love books. The experience reminds me of bookstores I visited in Berkeley and San Francisco in the 60's - a wonderful fusion of a love of reading and writing with the physical space full of books and people who love them.
The physical spaces of Daunt's London bookstores are distinctive and seductive, and I'm sure they are a major contributor to their success.
I visit our Barnes and Noble here in Wisconsin with some regularity, but partly on a mission to keep it alive and hope for a transformation. When I sit down at the welcome coffee shop to browse magazines and a few books over a cup of coffee, I inevitably end up thinking of Daunt's and Hatchards. There is no reason our local shop could not be transformed to have the same magical ambience. What a wonderful prospect.
8
This is good news. I remember going into Barnes and Noble years ago and roaming around until I spotted a book that enabled a new relationship with the work on an author that continues to this day. One of the most prominent is with Murikami; previous ones were with Ruth Rendel and Henning Menkel. One of the highlights of my travels is to step into a local bookstore and head for the one shelf that holds the work of local authors whose books have been translated into English. These experiences of discovery do not exist for me on Amazon, although I do buy books from the site. I also do not think that reading something on a Kindle or similar device could replace reading in bed until I fall asleep. So, I am looking forward to Mr. Daunt's tenure.
6
Browsing for books is one of life’s singular pleasures, for me anyway. I sincerely hope that Mr Daunt puts the fox among the chickens at Barnes&Noble - retailers need to change. But so do publishers, I guess. We have a practice here where the large retailers charge publishers premiums for display & position, resulting in the same books being more visible everywhere, with increased sales no doubt. Unfortunately, these days it’s journalistic expose upon expose. Pretty depressing stuff, with the better reads in many instances not even stocked. So it goes, to quote Vonnegut.
1
Most notable problem with Barnes and Noble - it seems to me almost all the books are damaged. It usually appears its the result of rough handling, like grabbing from the top of the spine & pulling to remove them from the shipping container. There are also lots of dented corners & such. I believe one way Amazon got over on B&N is people don't want to pay full price for the damaged books B&N sells. Any store that constantly sells damaged merchandise doesn't care about it's customers.
Not to mention B&N stores are ugly & soulless.
My recommendation is order books from independent bookstores. Figure out which ones are excellent & care about their customers. Outstanding stores to deal with long distance include City Lights (San Francisco), Strand Books (NYC), Left Bank (St. Louis), Book Soup (Hollywood), Changing Hands (Tucson). These stores have never let me down.
An added benefit of learning about & buying from independent bookstores: customer service. When Bruce Springsteen published his memoir, I contacted a New Jersey bookstore and asked if I could purchase a signed copy if Bruce ever signed any books for the store. The owner said yes. 4 months later, Bruce provided the store with some signed copies & the owner contacted me to let me know she had a signed book for me if I still wanted one.
You'll never get that kind of attention, consideration & service from a chain. Support independent bookstores. They really care about their customers.
6
There was a time when I would not pass by a book shop or flower shop without stopping in. Both were a magnet drawing me in, I admired the flowers, in bunches or arranged; I loved the books on shelves; sat at tables and opened a few. Then this was not any longer possible, not because of Amazon but due to health issues.....and I thank God every day for Amazon, my Kindle which enlarged the print and now is in the Cloud as it must be at eye level. Keep inn mind that Amazon offers the wide world of reading to folks younger than I with physical disabilities, and there must be thousands of areas that will not ever have a book store nearby but they have the internet/Amazon. So folks, there's room for both in the world of readers......the problem is....there are less and less readers every year. Mr. Daunt must channel his efforts to young readers. Corners with old fashion toys mixed with new books; tables with books about tech, digital puzzles, sports, foods, fashion and whatever is the current 'in' subject of teens. Mr. Daunt must make reading a 'go to' thing to do for the young of all ages. Good Luck!
6
But the company has largely persisted by selling the pleasure of bookstores first and books second. Because if a store is charming and addictive enough, goes Mr. Daunt’s theory, buying a book there isn’t just more pleasant. The book itself is better than the same book bought online.
“It just is,” he said. “You’ll enjoy it more. You’ll read it quicker. You chose it with your own eyes, your hands, your ears. Now it’s all about anticipation. If you buy a book from Amazon, there’s a little anticipation as you rip the tag off the envelope. But it’s generally slightly flat and disappointing.”
As a person who has always loved bookstores, worked in one, and as a very small publisher sold to them, these two paragraphs almost make me cry. Beautifully put, and really something I would never have consciously thought about before Amazon. It's the "don't know what you got til it's gone" problem.
3
Any book seller who carries a copy of Mary Webb's "Precious Bane" on her shelves has my business.
1
This story is good news for my ears for many very good reasons. Let's start with the positive about Barnes and Noble in South Burlington VT and even the no longer existing Borders on Church Street (world's best walking street) in Burlington.
I spend 3 to 4 weeks every June living up on Mount Philo in tent in a box - the box is Cedar Shelter. Now at 87 I can no longer go up "my" mountains so much more time is spent in Speeder & Earls and Muddy Waters but also in the brand name cafes at Borders - gone - and the well functioning one in Barnes & Noble.
The size and number of Books at B & N is astonishing seen from my Swedish perspective where in a city of the same size my 2 Akademibokhandel shops, one with cafe, the bookstores are very small scale. There must be a lot of extra money floating around in Burlington.
All these stores are an essential part of my life and I buy new books frequently. I see negative comments below but my experience with B & N South Burlington has been consistenly positive, year after year.
Now a footnote on how Amazon treats me, apparently because I live in Sweden. I used to be able to buy and download music via amazon.com but then one day they told me no, you do not live in the USA, you cannot buy music from us and you should not have been doing that before.
So welcome to America Mr. Daunt.
Only-InAmerica.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE
3
Gosh, a ray of hope for Barnes and Noble! The “partner” store to our local library friends group is very good to us - giving us their leftovers that didn’t sell ( we sell these at outdoor book sales to make money for the library). Plus we have a special deal with B and N at holiday time - if a customer uses a special code, our group gets a cut of the sale price. I hope these perks can be retained while the store is being made more interesting.
2
Great news. I love Waterstones, and while I always prefer independent bookstores I miss having a reliably good chain bookstore to fall back on as I did in the UK. And having worked in B&N in grad school, Mr. Daunt's assessment seems spot-on. I love books, but B&N did not foster a culture of or for book-lovers. I do hope Mr. Daunt pays his workers better, both here and at Waterstones.
9
Sadly, unless you already have a B&N near you, I don't think you will find one magically appearing. The UK's bookshops are mostly in reasonably wealthy, middle-class towns and cities with a high student population and Mr. Daunt transformed the Waterstones by change to its existing stores, not by opening a plethora of new ones.
The UK's cities and towns are heavily pedestrianised and reliant on affordable public transport, unlike most of the USA, and it is foot traffic through those open doors into the welcoming embrace of old architecture and paper, informed and enthusiastic staff that drives the sales; the person with an hour's wait for their train home at the end of a working day, the family ducking in for a hot coffee on a cold winter's evening and browsing.
In most cities in the UK we leave our cars a few miles out in an enormous car park with a free bus service into the city centre and back again. It's paid for by the spending, and hence the taxation, this service brings. In most cities and towns in the USA, you drive directly to the store you want to visit.
This fundamental difference will determine how successful the transformation of B&N will be. Waterstones relies on footfall, B&N will rely on you taking the time to drive a fair distance and paying the extra dollar or two for the experience.
Will it work in the USA? Judging by the comments it's got a fighting chance because most of you seem prepared to travel and pay an extra dollar or two for the experience.
6
@Zoe
I hope Mr. Daunt doesn't mechanically follow his strategies in the UK without taking the cultural differences in the US, which you mention, into account.
My nearest Waterstones is a mile and a half away, so except at Christmas I tend to take a canoe up the Amazon. Around the turn of the century (21st!) I worked as an editor for a medium-sized history specialist. Early on, I wandered into a room in back of reception and was amazed to be confronted from floor to ceiling with hundreds of books. What, I asked, had become of them? Well, either they'd met their sales target, in which case we rejoiced and moved on, or they hadn't, in which case a Nigerian entrepreneur paid 10 pence for the remainders. Yes, there is an English-speaking world it had never occurred to the Marketing department they could also sell books to! I marvelled at the rich content, that had no other purpose than to sell 1,500 copies and cover its costs. Why were we not exploiting all that painstaking research? It was a terrible waste. If a book didn't readily sell, it never occurred to them to try changing the cover, or to focus-group it with local historical societies and try again. If it was exciting stuff, why were we not talking to TV or radio producers about it? I put up marketing ideas, having come from the creative side of that world, but was always rebuffed: "It's not how we do things". I soon came to disparage the product as mere "cardboard sandwiches". Within months of my leaving, the company disappeared. I'm not convinced Daunt's policy of genteelly managed chaos moves publishing on. Change needs to come from the root.
2
I spend a fair amount of time in the northeast of England (a region that has similar associations to our Rust Belt--local industries destroyed by neoliberal economics, Labour voters but overwhelmingly pro-Brexit, etc.). On my most recent trip back in March, I visited three Waterstones bookstores. Just like B&N, they’ve got games, toys, puzzles, crafts, art supplies and such all over the place. The major difference between the two is the quality of the book stock. Every time I visit a Waterstones, regardless of location, I see books on the shelves that I've had in Amazon wishlists for years because I can’t find them anywhere else. A broad range of nonfiction subjects, quality literature (including many obscure titles) mixed in with bestsellers and all the usual genre fiction. Despite being a national chain, every store feels carefully curated to meet the needs of almost every reader. By contrast, my local B&Ns (located in the middle of a thriving economy with three nearby major research universities and a progressive population) stock almost exclusively bestsellers, popular authors, and high school classics. And Bibles. LOTS of Bibles. It seems pretty clear that B&N’s model is to throw up the same store with the same stock hundreds of times over across the country with no degree of customization or care put into selection. Hopefully that changes before it's too late.
17
@Alcee
"It seems pretty clear that B&N’s model is to throw up the same store with the same stock hundreds of times over across the country with no degree of customization or care put into selection."
Not clear to me. I was chatting with a fellow customer, and we agreed that the 3 B&N branches in our area had distinct personalities of their own, including different selections of books.
2
Elliot Advisors brings about the first post-Brexit US-UK business link-up.
More of this, please.
And they were saying that it would be all over for the UK.
@MikeEdwards, a UK national like Daunt has always had a relatively straightforward, legal path to work for a US company in America, and vice-versa. This has nothing to do with Brexit, which may place tariff barriers against trade in goods with Britain’s neighbors.
1
James Daunt sounds like a somewhat enlightened retailer, albeit his views on employee compensation. Does everybody here realize that the real boss is Paul Singer of Elliott Management? I hope he doesn't do to B&N what he did the Congo.
2
What about price? Even when I'm browsing books at a bookstore, if I come across something I like, I'll just look it up and order online at a discount. Better yet, I get a cheaper digital copy that doesn't take up any space nor requires the killing of trees. Amazon combines the best of all worlds: digital and paper, new and used, price and convenience. Strictly practical shoppers like myself won't be won over by gimmicks like presentation angles and vibes.
Daunt is right about the atmosphere though. Last time I ventured into a B&N, there was nowhere to sit and no power outlets. I know when I'm not welcome.
5
@James McIntosh
If the hours you spend browsing books by authors you've never encountered, the people you meet and talk with about literature in a great bookstore over a coffee are less important to you than a couple of dollars saved on the cover price then, yes, you're an Amazon customer. That's fine - it's your money, spend it where you want.
If you use a bookstore as a gateway to an online purchase no one is going to stop you, but you're doing that store a disservice. The educated, erudite staff are there, waiting for you to ask them a question or to ask them for a recommendation. Amazon will lead you into an echo chamber by recommending books you already know you like.
I suspect that once you get the traditional 'independent' bookstore back, albeit in a chain where finances are overseen by a head office, you might change your mind. (I use the word independent to mean the staff make the decisions about what to buy and how to present it.)
If you view books as strictly a practical purchasing decision, like a lightbulb, then Daunt's vision of bookstores isn't going to win you over. No amount of mahogany and architecture, educated staff and chance encounters are going to sway you from saving $2 on the price. Your loss, I think, but it's your choice of course.
As a final, minor aside, books these days from responsible publishers use recycled paper. Do traditional books cause more environmental harm than running the server farms that provide your e-books?
15
@JamesMcIntosh, do you ever consider that spending that extra dollar or two is a fair price to pay for the salaries and taxes that your bricks-and-mortar bookshop generate for your community? And Amazon’s carbon footprint after all those truck-rolls to your doorstep? When did we as a society become so mercenary?
6
You may be overlooking the ordering process at your current bricks and mortar stores. At the local Barnes & Noble, the title you would be ordering (on your own time, later) could be ordered at the book counter by requesting a ship-to-home order at the online best price with free shipping. Were you a member, your shipping would be express and free all year long. SImplify.
2
I applaud Daunt’s attempt to save B&N. I still miss Borders and I was shocked when the B&N in Washington DC’s Union Station closed. There should be at least one large bookstore in major cities where people can browse in clean and clear aisles, purchase a book or two, and enjoy a beverage and bite in a cafe.
The only quibble I have with Daunt’s plan is allowing Unlimited WiFi in the stores and cafes. Please establish a daily two-hour limit to keep people from setting up camps throughout the store and taking over all of the tables in the cafe. Starbucks has agreed to be the “third place,” let those needing free WiFi all day go there.
7
Fortunately I read to the bottom. At the tail end of the story is the little problem of starvation wages for Waterstones workers. This changes the story completely from a hopeful success story to an exploitation one.
4
@Sheila Roddy
The publishing and book industry in the UK has always been something of a vocation, only really open to those with family money or another way to supplement their income.
My husband, a freelance IT contractor, worked for several large publishers in the 90s - Penguin, Oxford University Press, Longman et.al. - and even the senior editors there were paid a pittance compared to what they could have earned in another field or at the same job in another country. The IT people probably made more than the board.
The publishing industry here is full of people with double-barelled surnames and the backing of old money but those days are changing. You are right and I'm sure Waterstones knows it should pay the going rate for literate, intelligent, educated staff and, eventually, it will have to.
The pretty, vapid young things selling cosmetics and suits in department stores cannot drive Daunt's vision forward - he needs graduates, widely read older workers, intellectuals, parents and enthusiasts and those people also need to have customer-facing skills. A bit of a big ask for minimum wage. Waterstones will have to move on this.
The stores are fantastic, though, and I hope he can do the same for B&N. The US staff might want to think about unionising (rare in the UK for publishing/book retailing staff) if and when their company is returned to profitability.
7
Good Luck! Whenever I'm in London I spend at least one entire afternoon in the Picadilly multi-story Waterstones shop. It's fabulous. I always find something unexpected and buy it. Please succeed with B&N.
9
@Anthony Pastor try Daunts in Marylebone Road as featured in article. A real experience and beautiful store.
1
This was a delight to read. My wife and I were in London for a month in June. We stopped by a wonderful bookshop in Chelsea — I don’t remember the name — clearly designed for actual readers of books. No magazines, no games, no CDs. Nothing like Barnes & Noble. Just books. I bough a paperback copy of “Bring Up The Bodies.” When I left I told the salesperson what a terrific store it was. She noted how good it was to work there.
2
no, he can't! great article title again, you almost got me to read it!
Whatever happened to the Waterstones on Exeter Street in Boston? Wasn't it a Conran's (British furniture) before or after that?
1
I am a published author with a sequel to my latest book due out next year. I would strongly suggest one thing Mr. Daunt needs to laser beam focus on is the way B & N treats authors who are willing to come into the store on their own time and at their own expense and talk about their books.
My book actually strongly features the locality where my nearest B & N is located, and I have given up on trying to get them to even respond. You would think they would leap at it, but... no. All B & N seems to want to feature are children's events. B & N can't make it on children's books, it's not possible.
Authors and bookstores have a shared interest and a common cause, we should see each other as friends and allies, not adversaries. Sure, there are differences in some of those interests, but fundamentally, we need each other and in the long run cannot succeed without each other. No author should ever be treated like a pest. We and readers are why you exist.
And by the way, while you are at it, Mr. Daunt, remember the sunk cost fallacy- it's time to dump the Nook. Yes, it's now an impressive device, but you are not going to compete successfully with tablet makers like Apple and Samsung with their incredibly deep pockets. As DeGaulle said of Algeria, it's not your destiny.
8
@AF
Hopefully your're going to get British-style bookstores with US-focused content. Daunt is very, very awate of localisation. No toys, no CDs, no music, no distractions.
You'll get a large area for people to sit and read books they've picked off the shelf (no one will hassle you), you'll get free wifi which is aimed at the younger audience and students, and you'll get moderately priced, moderately ok coffee!
The e-reader will be dropped and authors will be welcomed. No one will have to buy your book to attend but if you are an enthralling speaker and writer, you'll sell a lot. British bookstores hold many events for local and upcoming authors, as well as the big names.
If... if... Daunt sticks to his British vision and doesn't get overwhelmed by the US retail market. I'm pretty sure he's being dropped in to ensure you get the antithesis of the average American retail outlet. I hope it works - even our chain bookstores are superb and the truly independents are gems, just like yours.
5
My favorite Waterstones is Gower Street. If you want and old and rather flimsy Penguin - Orange or Green, there are walls of them to peruse there.
Like so many other book people, I always manage to buy more than my list at Gower Street.
3
Like quite a few people commenting on here I’ve spent a number of years at B&N Booksellers, wanting to love working in a bookstore but actually hating the corporate structure of it. B&N was simply too big for its own good, or became too big with introduction of super-stores. In the 80s an 90s there were still some smaller stores that looked like locally tailored but those were soon gone, replaced with mega-sized ones. This is, unfortunately, when I started and though the idea is seductive - “all the books in the world under one roof” - it soon proved to be an illusion. In one of the stores where I worked the suits actually replaced one strong-headed manager with corporate cipher: what happened when planograms went into effect was that the sales went down; the store was losing money and eventually closed. But they kept doing the super-stores and losing it soul.
And as Mr. Daunt correctly noticed, everything started looking shabby - no matter how new it was. Yeah, all those tables were the same, but they were all uniformly broken and crooked and peeling...
On top of which, you COULD NOT discover a new book, nothing that was NOT on Amazon bestseller or NYT Books list already. And that is - for me - the biggest pleasure in small bookstores: finding unexpected stuff. (Otherwise, there’s always Amazon free shipping over $25.)
I pray that Mr. Daunt succeeds, not for B&N corporate survival (Europe is definitely different than the US), but for book lovers sake. Books are sacred!
11
@Dejan Kovacevic There was a nice little one in Brookline, Mass. Gone now.
Mr. Daunt has a daunting task if he is going to revive Barnes & Noble.
2
@Dejan Kovacevic
Amazon's free shipping increased to $35 about 2 1/2 years ago (for non-Prime members).
Back in the 90’s, I worked for a few years at the Boulder Bookstore, a thriving, independent retailer in Colorado. Despite intense competition from behemoths like Barnes & Noble and Borders, the shop prospered by using many of the practices Mr. Daunt later adopted for Waterstones. Central to the approach, was individualized customer service from a staff of passionate book lovers who hand-sold the work of their favorite authors. (Prospective employees had to pass a grueling literature test before being hired) Regular author readings from luminaries like Ken Kesey, Amy Tan, William Styron, and T.C. Boyle added to the ambiance, as did the elegant 19th-century building where the shop occupied three floors. As a result, coming to the Boulder Bookstore was much more than an exercise in mass consumption, it was a cultural experience. The shop’s fiercely loyal, discriminating clientele has kept it flourishing right into the era of Amazon, digital books, and other abominations. So, while I have little love for Barnes & Noble, I wish Mr. Daunt well in his quest to transform the chain into something resembling a string of independent bookstores. (A little ironic, considering how many indies B & N buried) It’s a heavy lift, but success could be a boon to millions of readers currently suffering the slim pickings of a denuded retail landscape.
4
At last, someone who thinks differently. Please do not exclude African American neighborhoods! I boycott B & N because they closed the store in our area. It was a lousy store. They made little effort to draw in clientele. That might have accounted for low attendance. But they didn’t give it a chance. Honestly, we read! Ask what. Give me a reason to come back.
10
Guess I am a bit giddy with hope, but doesn't he even look like a book-culture hero?
4
Waterstones stores have a good feel about them...you can sit in there cafe's and reading area's and relax...you can stay as long as you like and the staff are so helpful.
I use the one in Canterbury England...ever passing by...pop in.
2
Yes, please save B & N. We need a place to go, wander among literary life, pick gifts, sit down in solace with a beloved book, or many books, to bring our kids, our grandkids so they can experience first hand being friends with books! Then let us find our way to the checkout, buy those lovely books and other items, gifts, keepsakes - and go home with a smile, a great memory, and feel the beckoning of next time.
7
Godspeed James Daunt.
4
Ironic that when Barnes and Nobel reinvented itself in the mold of Virgin Music Mega stores and Boarders they put so many smaller independent “brick and mortar”, “mom and pops” book stores out of business. Now they are the ones in need of rescuing... One has to ask oneself what have we become?
1
Mr. Daunt, I was intrigued to visit Daunt's by the book The Meaning of Night (which made up a history for Daunt's and the fictional Daunt family with your permission). However, I ran out of time visiting London. I am glad to hear you will be taking over B and N. The one near by house has too many games and knick/ knacks and not enough good books. Please really do consider giving your employees a raise though: I live near a state of the art library where pretty much I don't have to buy books BUT I continue to buy here and there (and not my hometown company Amazon) to support my local bookstores and their employees. Do this and I will shop at B and N. Thanks.
3
As a long-time B&N customer, I wish Mr Daunt the same success turning this company around. With so many cities and towns without a bookstore, independent or otherwise, they are great resources and spaces for the community. There is no substitute for browsing at a new or used bookstore and finding something unexpected. Books can enrich and enlarge our lives in so many ways.
However, I agree with the assessment in the story. The B&N stores can look a bit run down, the carpeting is worn out and the staff, although very helpful, often look overworked. Allowing managers more freedom to create stores suited to each community is a terrific idea. And also uncoupling them from the dictates of the large publishing houses.
12
In my opinion, books, an inviting environment, and coffee are a winning combination. There are several nuances that I think need to be considered when sizing up the competition which I'm sure I'm only touching upon as someone who is not in the industry. Unless there is a new novel that absolutely needs to be read now, many avid readers can wait until their public library has a copy. Reference books may need to be purchased if one will be using it often, and/or if one plans to underline/highlight in it. Gifts obviously need to be purchased. So, to have or to borrow, delaying gratification, gifts, and an inviting environment with social and aesthetic appeal are some of the factors that need to be weighed when assessing the competition which I believe includes Amazon and public libraries.
4
Living in Staten Island, our Barnes and Noble has been moved to what we call “The Mall”.
Limited parking, outside access only, and a bright library atmosphere.
The intimacy of the original one is gone .
Although to me, my heart broke when Scribner’s, the most beautiful and iconic bookstore in Manhattan, fell from grace.
Now that, was a bookstore.
5
Please Mr. Daunt get rid of the toys and games. It's a bookstore and B&N long ago decided to transform it into a toys and games, gifts, music and video store which happened to have a few books to sell.
Only time I go to B&N today is for magazines. For books, I buy on Amazon either for my Kindle or a hardback depending on whether it's fiction or non-fiction.
I love bookstores and browsing books and finding a book I haven't seen in a review etc. but with very scant access to any bookstores in my area -- Amazon is now my "go to."
Nonetheless -- hoping Mr. Daunt has a huge success turning around B&N and hoping that one day they will open a store in my area.
6
Atmosphere is key to a bookstore experience that makes buyers return again and again. Barnes and Noble presents an institutional and sterile atmosphere: no one wants to return to institutions, least of all people who buy books and enjoying meeting other book buyers and appreciate knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff. I hope Mr. Daunt can recreate those magical places we used to know as bookstores.
5
Hooray. The best news of the year. A visit to London will convince anyone that bookstores are here to stay, and that they can can thrive. Ditto the rest of Europe, where the bound book was invented.
Americans may have invented the Kindle, the iPad, and the Nook, but they will slowly and surely continue to embrace the bound book, which they can feel, dog-ear, and invite to be a lasting member of their home to be passed on to future generations. James Daunt knows this.
4
My last visit to Barnes & Noble - and I do mean "last", not "most recent" - ended with my depositing on a table the armsful of books I wanted to buy, and walking out with nothing. Why? Because in a store with employees chatting, and cafe workers standing idly, I was number 13 in line for the one cashier dealing with customers trying to pay for books. I do miss the experience of browsing, the magazine racks, and simply getting out of the house, but amazon is easier, cheaper, and better for my blood pressure.
As for Waterstone's, its huge Piccadilly shop has never been crowded (in my experience), but the best thing it seems to have going for it, and unmentioned in this article, is the range of titles unavailable easily in US shops. How that can be replicated in the US is beyond me.
4
Aside from climate change, the ever-shrinking number of those who still read has to be near the top of my concerns for the world. Books can take you places that most of us never see in person: into different cultures, religions, perspectives. And that makes readers more tolerant neighbors. What problems couldn't be solved by being a little more informed? Barnes and Noble is my happy place - the smell of words on paper is instantly calming to me as I walk through the door. I have taken dates there to gauge their intellectual compatibility. I have cried in their parking lots through messy breakups. I raised my children to be book lovers; from their fascination with the much-missed train table in the children's section, to their current thirst for YA books, (and ACT primers). I give books as gifts; never from Amazon, as I feel a duty to support B&N's brick and mortar stores. But there is certainly room for more substance - the people who work there should all be knowledgable readers, (and compensated accordingly). How strange is it now that we are trying to save the soulless bully that destroyed small bookstores back in the 'You've Got Mail' days? In today's self-absorbed culture, the reason is simple: anyplace where readers of words are celebrated as much as the writers of them is a place where ideas for a better world can grow. These are the thoughts of a wordy girl living in a selfie world. Long live the physical bookstore, in any form I can find it!
8
Mr. Durant stands a chance because he understands his niche.
He's not trying to market to every potential book buyer. He can't. There will always be those who prefer Amazon's pricing and for convenience the big A cannot be beat. You can order a book and other things from your kitchen table and it's at your front door in a couple of days. Hugely advantageous to those who find it difficult to get to bookstores.
He has to work that niche where his potential customers want to be "entertained" in a book store and who don't mind paying his prices. There are millions of us out there. Let's hope he succeeds - and then maybe can do the same thing for record stores.
4
There's an idea: a book store that sells books! My local BN's floor space is dominated by cafe, novelty stationery items and games. It is impossible to find anything other than the NYT bestsellers.
Recently I read about a book in the NYT Book Review (so not yet on the bestseller list). The following day I confirmed that there was a copy in my local store, then went to purchase it. After 30 minutes of hunting for it myself and 20 more waiting for the clerk to get off the phone, I finally turned it up in the philosophy section. Too bad it was a book about early American dictionaries.
What a pleasure it would be to deal with people who understand and love books.
4
If he can get the clerks to stop asking me about the club card, then that would be a huge win. I honestly deliberate about buying stuff from them and decide whether I want to run that "No thank you" gauntlet.
It's so bad that I expect them to ask me for my name, phone number, and address like Radio Shack did when you were buying a single battery. And look what happened to Radio Shack.
4
I truly hope Mr. Daunt can save B&N. It is the one public place I go where the customers are invariably polite with each other. It’s almost like the libraries of yore with the employees / librarians having both time and inclination to help a baffled customer.
2
@Susan You have a great B & N. The one I used to manage was overrun with bored housewives who changed their kids on the common toy tables and left dirty diapers for the staff to clean up.
2
People reading books through any venue is so twentieth century! People buying books and reading is becoming like the lovers of classical music! A dwindling niche.
3
Good luck to Waterstones. I miss be able to lounge in a bookstore for awhile.
1
Our daughter works at B & N and the employees at her store were thrilled to hear they were bought by Waterstones. She'll be the first to tell you about how corporate controls every detail of displays and marketing. Just imagine! Stores where the managers and employees have some say and some power! What could be next, employees actually looking forward to going to work?
13
@John I visit local bookstores on purpose when I travel for unique souvenirs and books to read during travels. The book selections also gives a real flavor of what an area is like. So I'm glad to hear that Waterstones will allow their employees more leeway.
2
To the moderator:
The book is “The Safety of the State: America v.
Trump/Putin” by Madelynn Gingold.
"Frankly, at the moment you want to love Barnes & Noble, but when you leave the store you feel mildly betrayed,” Mr. Daunt said... "It’s a bit ugly — there’s piles of crap around the place. It all feels a bit unloved, the booksellers look a bit miserable, it’s all a bit run down."
Mr. Daunt is correct. Every time I have visited a B&N in recent memory, I have left the store very disappointed. More toys than books. Tables with boxes of ... crap. When asked for help in locating a book, 9 times out of 10 the answer is, "We don't carry that in stock; I can order it for you." And my reply is, "No thanks. I came to a bookstore because I wanted to BUY a book. If I wanted to ORDER a book I could have stayed home and used Amazon."
22
It’s true. Too many toys and junky items
4
Best of luck to Mr. Daunt in working a miracle! I made a decision last year to stop patronizing Amazon and have tried to purchase books elsewhere. My options currently are: 4 Barnes & Noble stores within a 45 minute drive of my home and an independent bookseller 1 hour and a bit away. Initially after taking my "No Amazon" stance, I was able to readily find books on my list at B&N without feeling frustrated. In the past 6 months or so, this experience has become less and less frequent. I have watched the stores' comforts (those lovely large chairs for perusing possible purchases, lots of shelves with actual and various books filling them) and selections disappear. These days,B&N is all about "lowest common denominator" options, seemingly endless numbers of tomes that all cover the same material -- honestly, how many romance novels and books re Keto diets, InstaPots, and pot cultivation does one have to carry, anyway? -- not to mention the huge gaps on the shelves where actual books used to be. What is on display tends to appear unkempt, and finding knowledgeable and interested assistance is frustrating, to say the least. A couple of weeks ago I visited 3 B&Ns trying to find books that would allow me to use discount coupons and ended up empty-handed and aggravated. Thank heaven for the aforementioned IBS, which is a lovely, thoughtfully arranged space, delightful to be in and complete with enthusiastic staff, great recommendations and books I actually want to buy.
11
@Nancy2501 No idea where you are in CT but if you can get to Madison, RJ Julia is a wonderful independent bookstore which will make your trip worth the time to go there.
4
RJJulia is the IBS of which I spoke in my comment. Absolutely my idea of the perfect bookstore!!
2
If I may, changes that would lure me back to B&N: 1) located downtown in major cities, not just suburbs (there's none in SF), 2) clean carpet, unstained furniture, and neat appearance, 3) no more huge racks of sale books no one wants, 'gimmicks', as Mr. Daunt describes, 4) an excellent international magazine section that is patrolled for abusers.
8
SF has plenty of bookstores downtown, but I do agree that an international periodicals section would be amazing. They do okay with having titles like British Vogue and i-D, but I can only ever find outdated copies of the TLS and the like.
1
@S.C. Sorry, I meant there's no B&N downtown SF. We do have City of Lights and several other great bookstores! But not one place that has everything that is comfortable to spend a considerable amount of time in. Several of the bookstores downtown have somewhat gritty levels and basement sections.
1
If Donald Trump's obvious lack of a focused education and serious intelligence proves anything, it proves we need better teachers and more quality bookstores.
8
more proof of it was needed that corporate types are worthless. the armies of marketing, design, store planners, etc etc etc, stamping a single minded vision, whether it works or not. safe in their head office while they fire more and more front line staff to make a profit.
2
I'm lucky enough to live in Hillcrest, a community near downtown San Diego. From my home, I can walk to my favorite used bookstore, Bluestocking, on 5th Avenue, or I can drive 10 minutes into Mission Valley to the best Barnes & Noble ever, currently adding a cafe, we'll see how that works out. My only request at the B&N in Mission Valley is to have more titles for each author, not just the most recent. Sure they can be ordered but then I can't carry them home right away.
4
@DHC
Don’t forget Catapult in South Park and Verbatim in North Park! We truly are fortunate to have these local options.
2
@Left Coast
So right. Nothing like our neighborhood bookstores. San Diego is a book reading city.
2
Saving B&N would mean everything to me. Already the store near me is 2/3 toys and junk - and they are moving from the lovely two floor airy site to a one story flat space. The current location is being turned into a sure to fail collection of stores they thing 20's will like - as if those folks won't mature! I buy books every week - i I never buy from Amazon. I'm not alone so save our safe place!
6
B& N saved my life at a time of career burnout. Working as a bookseller, then head cashier, then merchandise manager allowed me to work productively with book-minded people, and to engage in the intimate act of bookselling. Don't think it's intimate? Spend an hour at the info desk while people ask for books to help with critical illness, divorce, a child coming out to their parents, a funny book to cheer up an ill friend, a travel guide to help someone who'd never travelled anywhere, ever. Our employee recommends bay outsold every other display, week in and week out, until White Plains demanded the bay space for toys & games.
Sadly, though, planograms and corporate buying models, cuts to full time staff who were invested in books and the store's success, terrible benefits, and refusal to pay adequate wages forced me and others to move on. The Riggio family missed the boat on the website and e-readers-- too little, too late. It was likewise shortsighted to continue to insist on the membership model, when discounts were increasingly negligible. Privileging and distinguishing between college stores and retail, and making it impossible for customers to treat them as interchangeable, was likewise just dumb-- as was employing senior managers who didn't read books (!!!).
I miss my fellow booksellers. I don't miss the understaffed, dusty, haphazardly stocked stores. I shop Alibris for now. I will hope for positive change at B & N in the near future.
13
I surely hope Mr. Daunt retains the excellent soups found in the B&N cafes.
2
I am a big reader but I can't afford to buy many new books. New books are expensive - this was not mentioned in the article, strangely enough. This is the reason that Amazon became so successful. If you went into a BandN and bought 4 new hardcover books you're talking over $100. That is a lot of money for 4 books. And how many times have I heard, I can get that cheaper online, while browsing in a bookstore that only sells new books. The reason that chain stores are turning into toy stores is that people will still buy a new kid's book when they wouldn't buy a new book for themselves if they think they can order it online for less. I want to like the idea of chain bookstores becoming more like independent stores, but the fact is that they are still pricey places to shop.
I have visited one Waterstones and I would say in terms of vibe it hovers somewhat disconcertingly between chain and independent. The selection though not huge was wide rather than deep. I don't think you can escape that in a store that sells only new books. And yes, it was expensive.
I buy most of my books used and most of the time the author is no longer living. I want to support living authors and do from time to time by buying new books, but I do that at independent stores. I would rather do that than support Amazon or even ABE which is owned by Amazon.
1
I'm glad Mr. Daunt is coming to NYC. Andy Byford could probably use some cheering up.
3
It will be interesting to see if this man is daunted by the fabulous level of corruption in US retail, and if UK retail is anything comparable. The "incentives", "joint marketing", and "rebates" that are normal practice for gaining prominence and shelf space in the general US retail sector will surely be present in bookstore chains in the US as well.
1
In the course of a year, I might spend around a thousand dollars on books. These range from the expensive technical books that I need for work but cannot honestly bill to my employer, to the used paperback novels that I read on the train or the ferry. I buy printed books and e-books from Amazon, but I also download free books from Project Gutenberg, borrow books from friends and family, give and receive books as presents, et cetera. From time to time, I buy new books in bookstores, usually as gifts.
I don’t know where I fall in the universe of potential Barnes and Noble shoppers, because in truth, I could never tell the difference between a Barnes and Noble and a Borders, although I’m sure that I have shopped at both. There used to be one of these on Route 22 in New Jersey, and another down on Broadway near the Stock Exchange, but that’s all I can remember. I have happily bought CDs and DVDs and children’s games and calendars and notepaper and cards and (yes) even a stuffed animal or two. It was easier and more enjoyable than searching elsewhere. Big box, starts with a big B, problem solved.
I may not be in the group that Mr. Daunt is targeting as customers. However, I will offer him this one piece of unsolicited advice (which I suspect he already knows): Focus on serving the people that actually spend money in your stores, and on getting more of them. Don’t listen to people that are talking you up (or down) because of something they feel about Amazon.
5
This article is the most optimistic news item I have read in a while. My husband is English and we spend 2-4 weeks a year in the UK with our kids (ages 11 and 8). Waterstones is hands down their favourite English shop; we always fly home with more books than is advisable when you have a weight limit on your luggage! By contrast, my kids never want to "hang out" at B&N in our neighborhood and when they do, I am pestered to death with toy purchase requests! I really hope Daunt's efforts are successful; our country needs bookstores now more than ever.
13
@Katie
If this is the most optimistic news we have available to us, we are in a pretty bad state.
Good Luck Mr. Daunt!
I have a 9-year old who loves to go to Barnes & Noble. I would love for that to continue.
5
Great business model, Mr. Daunt. I'm a professional novelist, and I have wandered through B&N over and over and found nothing I wanted to read. And I read so much. Selling books readers want...yes. Yes. Yes. Not basing a business on returns. Bless you. Letting booksellers...sell books. Can I book your travel plans? Get here soon.
3
I love Waterstones and search it out every time I travel, but I never considered that the reason why it was head and shoulders above BN is because it had a better selection of books! It seems like "have a good product people want" is Business 101.
2
Finally, someone standing tall against algorithm-driven selling. It’s very alluring: you are selling customers a pablum of their own mixing which gets further honed with each purchase. Problem is that it provides for a shrinking intellectual life-journey, akin to driving down the freeway only using the rear-view mirror for guidance.
Mr Daunt is offering excitement, discovery and new adventures. I’m happy to join him on the journey. -As long as I don’t have to sleep in a cave full of goat poop...
3
B&N, if its inevitable to die,I would like it to go down with this guy in charge. Better a brazing doer who has some wonderful ideas, than a corporate number cruncher that slowly sucks the life out of the company (ie. Like Sears). I look forward to seeing B&N turned around...best wishes to him and the wonderful employees he's now leading!
7
I dont understand the "dont answer the phone" part.
3
How surprising that a former, now apologetic banker, turned bookseller is dragging his feet on paying employees a living wage. Cultivating arrogant prima donnas, based on an ability to one-up fellow workers in the knowledge arena, is not always the way to gain customer respect & repeat business. A quick study is not a sure bet to become a long term employee.
This former banker has a lot to learn.
1
This is the most excellent news for book lovers in America.
Daunt Books on Marylebone High Street in London is my favorite book store on the planet.
Three floors of previously undiscovered gems, rarely if ever seen at other bookstores -- and certainly not easily found (if even available) through Amazon.
By the way they are displayed and presented, Daunt brings these gems to one's attention -- and one leaves with a bag full of delights that one did not know about before entering the store.
If Daunt can bring even twenty percent of the flavor and character of the Marylebone High Street Daunt Books to Barnes & Noble, success is assured.
6
As a kindness to shoppers (and perhaps a $ savvy move), Mr Daunt might clear up the check-out mess that is now B & N. From Manhattan, to WI, to NH -- I've gotten in the "wrong" line at them all: ending up in "Returns" or "Customer Service," when I only wish to give them my credit card! Thx and Good Luck to Mr Daunt, Lynn - ret librarian
3
Hurrah for what sounds like creating an atmosphere for a genuine emphasis on books! I wish Indigo in Toronto would do the same vs. trending to becoming a gifty department store where books seem more an afterthought.
5
I've been in the book business for 40 years, and I am very impressed with what Mr. Daunt has to say. Ironically, he could end up being an effective spokesman for indie bookstores. The American Booksellers Association would do well to copy his rhetoric. Cheers, Mr. Daunt!
8
All hail James Daunt. This is an excellent article filled with information and hope. Thanks New York Times and thanks Mr. Daunt. I am a B & N bookstore regular, and I'm eager to experience what he has to offer. Here's hoping he does well in the U.S.
4
When we travel, I love going to local bookstores. They have the flavor of the area. I love talking to the booksellers and the shoppers, too. It is always a fun experience. But Barnes and Nobles has become the Walmart of booksellers. It is sad really. I occasionally go there, but always leave disappointed with the interaction. I mainly go because they carry a magazine from the U.K. that I cannot get elsewhere. Sometimes I purchase a book, but never the buy two, get one free area. How revolting.
If B & N can become like Waterstones, then Amazon has a problem. Yeah!
6
@Janice Badger Nelson
On occasion, I have encountered disappointing experiences from B&N employees.
One time I was looking for a book C.S. Lewis wrote. The sales associate said he never wrote such a book and I was wrong.
Biting my tongue, I asked her to look up the title and author on their computer. While waiting, my husband was wondering what was going on. Suddenly the sales associate said, "We have the book in stock." She never apologized and had a bit of an attitude. My husband simply smiled and said to the woman, "My wife trained at Kroch's an Brentano's and was a literature major in college. She knows her stuff."
I am keeping my fingers crossed that B&N will develop a similar style and attitude much like Waterstones. There is always room for improvement.
2
I love and miss Waterstones and Daunt. The best things about London. I hope he can revolutionise B&N.
6
My husband and I were in the UK last summer and checked out the bookstores in every town we visited. I was amazed that Waterstones was a chain store. In Glasgow, we bought way too many books, including some that I remembered were on my book list from years ago, that I never saw in the US. We went to a very posh bookstore in London (not a Waterstones), and it was great, but the Waterstones were very good stores too. I hope B&N can be turned around. I too am very sad when I see how much non-book merch they have in their stores now.
5
When I was growing up in Buffalo, NY, there weren't a lot of local book options. So on our family visits to NYC, we would go to Barnes and Noble. Whichever branch we went to "downtown" had shelves full of review copies, which I loved browsing. For a while, B&N felt like the big corporate giant that was squeezing out local shops, but now it just doesn't feel that much like a bookstore. Hoping that Mr. Daunt can find ways to let the individual stores have local flavor!
5
@Audrey
Shelves of review copies? I think you were at the Strand.
1
Hope one opens within traveling distance to me (10 or less miles… Kilometers?)
A business run by a man who loves it, who understands what his customers want and allows his managers the freedom and responsibility to to run each branch as needed to satisfy their customers. What a wonderful, old fashioned, and exactly correct way to do it. As opposed to the mindless, accounting driven methods that assume both buyer and seller are Pavlovian robots.
10
Hedge fund Elliott Management announced on June 7th that it planed to acquire Barnes & Noble for roughly $683 million. Elliott acquired Waterstones last year.
Elliott will operate the two retailers independently, the company said though Waterstones CEO James Daunt will oversee both retailers as chief executive.
I am hoping Mr. Daunt will continue to make B&N as profitable and appealing as he has with his many Waterstones bookstores.
But then, all too often, whenever hedge fund companies purchase retail businesses that are heavily in debt, they alone usually end up the winners with large stashes of cash while leaving the consumer with empty stores which haunt us of wonderful and memorable days gone for good. Such was the case with Sears, Remington Arms, Toys R Us, Radio Shack, Payless Shoes and Sports Authority.
I am hoping our beloved Barnes and Nobel remains strong and above water and does not collapse and sink like other retail businesses.
9
My two favorite bookstores are in other states from me. Would be great if my local B&N had more freedom to sell good books rather than the latest celebrity / entertainment drive nonsense.
3
Please save our Barnes and Nobles. Every book lover wishes you the best, Mr. Daunt!
9
Gross insensitivity. Demands quality people, pays poverty wages. Something for nothing. Nobody can live on $13 bucks an hour in London--or anywhere else.
12
Suggestions for Mr. Daunt:
1) Increase handicapped parking
2) Try to make it easier to get around the aisles in a walker or wheelchair - unless you strategically decide that older customers are going to die and you want to bring in younger customers.
3) Store employees whom seem to have little knowledge about books. Or maybe they cannot be bothered to help customers due to low morale.
4) A seeming lack of tolerance to customers that want to spend three or more hours browsing and reading in the cafe.
5) Maybe try to find local coffee houses with local food that can operate inside the renewed B&N.
6) If you want to boost customers, offer special coupons on the NYT website targeted to the location of subscribers. I am sure that NYT can help on that.
I used to enjoy going to Borders. There was a vibe that B&N lacks.
9
@Brad Yes for #5. Mr. Daunt, an example are airports that have seen a rise in dining since offering local food options instead of the same chains over and over again. Check out the San Francisco and Seattle international airports, for 2 examples.
Delighted to read about this, and eager to visit B and N once the changes are in place. It’s demoralizing to wade through all sorts of cheesy merchandise and dodgy books, which give the store an air of. desperation. We’re with you, Mr Daunt!
4
I hope Mr. Daunt is successful in remaking B & N. It used to be a great place to spend an evening -- soft music in the background, pick out a few books, find a cozy chair and a cup of coffee, and page through to see what items I wanted to buy. I'd usually go home with several books. These days, they've removed all of the chairs and replaced half of the book shelves with toys and gift items, and the store is not a welcoming place.
8
Could the bookshelves not be tilted at an angle of 3.5 degrees?
4
Nice try. Except that he can't beat Amazon. No one can. He may help a little B&N but that company is headed to oblivion just like majority of other brick and mortar stores, sooner or later.
I never used a reader and never will, and proudly always use 'Book is Always Better' bookmark but business is business and the beast (amazon.com) is way too big to tame it now.
A CEO with an actual passion for the product! What a novel idea! (all pun intended) I worked at a Barnes and Noble cafe for many years through college and grad school. I loved the discounts, being around books, and the cop-op returns were a great perk as the store would tear off the front cover to ship back in order to save shipping costs. So, as worker I was allowed to grab any "wasted" books before they were trashed. But the amount of waste was/is shocking. And I can attest that corporate hated any sort of individuality and prized managers that were dedicated to fascistic adherence to planograms and such. Our store manager was the most cheerless, least welcoming person I can fathom to run a bookstore. Regardless, it was still a haven of sorts, and I adored my non-managerial coworkers. Like others have mentioned, I have also become dismayed as more and more shelf space becomes dedicated to toys and games. As a result, I don't remember the last time I went searching for a new adult book there. I still enjoy going there to have a cup of coffee, look at the magazines, look for tchotchkes, or buy children's books. But I no longer value it as a real book store. Sidenote -the bathrooms of any of the stores I've been to are a complete shame. They were getting kind of worn a decade ago, and now I would rather use most gas station bathrooms. I truly hope Mr. Duant can save Barnes & Nobles. We need books stores both corporate and independent!
170
@Melissa Totally concur regarding the bathrooms in various Barnes & Noble stores. Some of them remind of some of the places I had to use in Iraq. Not good.
6
@Tom I love book stores and I also loved the little novelty games and bric a brac as long as it didn't get overwhelming.
2
I love browsing bookstores, which is an environment e-commerce cannot replicate. For the treasures found that day, I would rather have the excitement of purchasing in store. But to cater to millennials, it’s about the curated experience. We are tired of each big box store looking the same drab as another, which B&N has unfortunately fallen. Make the ambience fresh yet comfortable to sit and browse in quiet areas. Have a good coffee shop inside. Make it beautiful, conducive to literary art and exploration, where people would purchase a souvenir of their experience. Set areas for engaging spaces and activities and for children. Host various book clubs. How many women out there would rather make new friends or meet a man in a bookstore over the club or the bar.
3
For me, it is an infinitely richer, fuller experience buying books at a brick-and-mortar store than it is clicking a Checkout button on Amazon. But I will admit, I don't always have the time to go to the book store. That's because I could spend a whole day in a book store without any remorse -- homegeneous table legs or not! We all have our struggles. Keep the stories about the book-buying biz coming. It is good to stay in-the-know.
3
There are no greater, more transformative technologies than paper, pencils, ink and printing.
A good bookstore on the high street of every city and village is a strong civilizing influence.
Good luck to the chap. I hope he succeeds with Barnes.
3
Save us, Obi Wan--you are our only hope. A person who understands other people, both employees and customers of books alike, who can stand up to the accountants and MBAs with their spreadsheets, but can he please his private equity bosses in time, who may not be as patient and vested in the book business as Mr. Daunt. Make a store that Helene Hanff would patronize, please, and I'll be there. And I'll bring my friends.
6
Well I don't necessarily expect him to turn BN into another Daunt Books, but if he could give us something more along the lines of Waterstone's, that would be great. I know it's a "daunting" task in dirty, disorganized NY to provide something as tidy and comprehensive as Waterstone's, but Waterstone's did it briefly many years ago (like 20) in Boston, a location that ultimately closed, I think after a fire, and that was a wonderful place in my experience, and I always look forward to visits to Waterstone's when in London.
1
It would be nice for such an article to bring in a third country's chains. In particular, Germany with its dominant chain Thalia (seemingly in every city center in a prime location) and Hugendubel (less frequent, maybe high quality). But giving readers more perspective would cost time and money.
1
Every time I visit London, I always seem to stop in at a Waterstones bookstore and buy SOMETHING. I just love the feel, the look, the smell of the place - it's a wonderful bookstore loaded with readers of all ages and the most helpful staff. They really could be Britain's version of B&N.
I've loved bookstores my entire life. I used to work for a local bookstore chain in Chicago called "Kroch's and Brentano's" where we sold everything from high end coffee table books to new release hard cover books to picture frames to very nice Montblanc pens and fountain pens.
The remaining quality chain of bookstores in Chicago is Barnes and Noble. They are my lifeline in the bitterest of winter Sunday afternoons and a complete oasis on the hottest of Saturday afternoons.
I always find the best kids books and toys at any of their locations and never seem to get bored no matter how long I meander around, just taking in the many titles of every book imaginable.
The best part about ANY bookstore is that I can feel, touch, & smell the print and paper of the book I am contemplating purchasing. I never acquired a taste for reading an electronic "book" because I am behind a computer screen all day, the last thing I find enjoyable is the eye strain I'd get from reading a small screen.
Hopefully this Brit, James Daunt, can save our book bacon across the pond. Books have always been treasured friends of mine. I am keeping a good thought Mr. Daunt can be included in my literary circle.
86
@Marge Keller when we visit London, we always stay near Trafalgar Square. The Waterstones at the corner across from the square is our favorite "chillax" spot after a long day of sightseeing and enjoying the city. I would LOVE to see Barnes and Noble recreate that type of environment.
10
@Marge Keller
Next time you're in London, check out Persephone's Book Store. They also have an online store, but to visit is a truly unique experience.
I never leave England without a bag of books from their wonderful independent bookstores.
8
@lilmissy
I know the location you reference so well and I too love that Waterstones.bookstore. We usually shop at the one on Kensington High Street. They just have the coolest stuff and the nicest and most knowledgeable staff. I have never been disappointed by any Waterstones shop or staff member.
6
I would never buy books from B&N. They are so costly, not their fault, but it’s a traditional model where the publishers call the shots. Some of the list prices for children’s books are $20. That’s a lot for an an average family. Amazon has actually put pressure on publishers to reduce their prices, which is a greater equalizer for people of all income levels to enjoy books.
2
I have a Kindle that I use for when I travel, but that is it. There is nothing like going into a bookstore and using all your senses to enjoy finding a book. A real book!
8
Senior citizen here. I love bookstores and still mourn the closing of Brentano's on Fifth Ave. However, after downsizing and having to unload my library, I have switched to reading on my iPad and purchase most of my books through iBooks. I thoroughly enjoy the convenience of being able to have my entire library in portable form. I enjoy the technology that allows me to enlarge the text to a comfortable size, or adjust the backlighting. I enjoy not having to brave traffic to get to the bookstore.
It's easy to attack Amazon, but obviously they provide a service experience that people want or need. Good luck to Barnes & Noble and those who prefer a different experience. That experience may be different but is not necessarily superior.
6
I agree with another comment about the toy store aspects of B&N now. There is too much "stuff" with loud garish colors. The coffee shop area is usually taken over by students with laptops and while that is fine, an area with chairs one could sink into and peruse one's book would be wonderful. I think that in general the store lighting is too harsh. It's not very inviting. If I need to order a book I go to Powell's Books in Portand, Oregon, a wonderful local store to buy new and used. They ship also and it has always been a good experience. We love bookstores and I hope Mr. Daunt can save B&N.
7
Mr Daunt has his work cut out for him at Barnes & Noble. I was an editor for the online arm of the company in the late 90s, and sat in a vast sea of cubicles. After a few months we were told that we couldn't have any items - including bookshelves! - sticking out over the cubicle walls. We also weren't alowed any displays of individuality in the way we decorated our space. We could only assume management felt it was important to impose an atmosphere of soul-crushing uniformity. That's how the stores now appear to me, too. No matter where you are - New York or New Mexico - they all look despressingly the same.
6
This gives me hope that B&N brick and mortar stores might be saved. His approach makes so much sense and clearly customers have responded. It's been hard to see so many smaller independent bookstores go under due to the big box stores and Amazon. Cheaper isn't always better and Mr. Daunt is correct - the bookstore experience is unique and should be tailored to the area.
8
I hope one of the first things Mr. Daunt does once he moves to NYC, is bring a store to the Bronx.. Please Mr. Daunt, we have nothing here. I have to drive 20-30 minutes to Westchester County to go to a store there.
6
Unfortunately, many B&N stores are spaces the size of aircraft hangers, in vast shopping malls, surrounded by acres of parking lots. In contrast, Waterstones bookstores in the UK are often in old buildings repurposed, and with lots of architectural character and intimacy, and on narrow streets bustling with pedestrians. I hope Mr. Daunt can make his model work here in the US, but perhaps he might consider moving the stores back to downtowns and to similar areas to those where he has had such success in Britain.
8
We are having a Barnes and Noble playdate today. My 9 y/o twins have loved bookstore trips for many years now. We walk in the door and they head straight to the kids section, hunt around and then will come find me once their arms are loaded with books. They know they need to spend their own money for toys but I will buy the books.
Once we all have a nice stack we head to the cafe and have lunch or a treat and read a bit before making our purchases. I've been a "member" for years and would dearly miss B&N if they were gone. My kids may have "cut their teeth" on B&N but they now love any bookstore.
Today's playdate is with a friend who has struggled with dyslexia. At 12 he just made the break through to reading for pleasure. Now my kids share their books with him and he's excited to go to a bookstore where he can browse for a book that excites and intrigues him...not so easy to do on Amazon.
Long live all brick and mortar bookstores!!
9
Thanks for your comments about Kids Story Time and playdates. Our store has a minimum of two story times a week, and parents and kids walk out as happy customers all week long, especially on weekends! We love to offer free Kids Club memberships, and parents readily take us up on the offer. Beginning about 9:30 a.m., we are always busy with moms and kids, and mainly books. No customer is ignored, but we are sometimes very busy and always get another bookseller to assist.
I’ll ask for an email, sure, but it’s not a big deal if the customer declines, and the telephone number request is only to determine membership. So many customers don’t remember whether they are!
We’re a happy customer centered store, despite planograms and returns, and we’d sure like to see Mr Daunt drop by for a visit.
I sincerely hope B&N can be saved. It may be generational, but I simply do not understand the love affair with Amazon and paying a shipping charge once and perhaps twice. Amazon cannot replace the experience of browsing in a bookstore. Bookstores of all kinds were one of the great things to love about New York City. Thank you, Mr. Daunt.
6
This story is a breath of fresh air!
New York has lost so many bookstores and then reading about Michael Seindenberg's passing last month didn't give me much hope until I read this article.
Yay!
7
After watching B&N being run into the ground, I’m so hopeful. Sounds like someone who truly loves bookstores and books.
4
Start by having B&N devote more floor/shelf space to actual books.
At the B&N nearest me, probably 30-40% of the floor/shelf space is devoted to toys/games/ greeting cards, etc., not books.
12
When a book costs 40-50% more in B&N than it does from Amazon, I'm not buying it in store. Hope he can make the economics work because i will pay a bit more but not the present markup.
Also it would be brilliant if they would can the enormous religious section. It puts me off even going in.
6
@Elisabeth
Alas I have to agree with your entire comment. When I visit a B&N and open my iPhone to ABE or Bookfinder and discover their offerings are at least 30% less costly I, while in the store and on the stores wireless, order the book from the internet. B&N is a faceless corporation. Why should I contribute what amounts to a welfare payment to a faceless corporation.
1
@Elisabeth Why? Are religious people not allowed to read?
3
@Elisabeth First, I am not religious but what's with the hate? Just skip that aisle.
Secondly, what part of CA are you in? I've noticed in travelling that certain segments of the country have more religious books (not necessarily just B and N) reflecting the type of people in the area. For instance, some Florida airport bookstores have a whole rotating rack of what I like to call "prosperity theology business books" that mix the Bible with business.
1
Thank you Mr. Daunt for your courage, your commitment and your vision. Welcome to the USA
6
I have a Nook from B&N and almost never go to the store in this town--Guilty! It is too bad because I've loved to browse the store. It's why I bought a Nook instead of a Kindle. Seeing those photos of bookstores nearly made my eyes water. But the Nook is just too darn handy (pun intended), and because I've had to downsize to a small apartment, it sure is a space-saver. I'll just have to get back to the store, well, some day soon...I hope.
3
I really hope he does well and is a great success. I would hate to see my NOOK tablet go the way of the buffalo.
3
We've never needed them more than we do now. Sure, Amazon serves its own purpose, but I miss the bookstore as a gathering place.
Please bring the bookstore back to America.
8
I hope the new management turns down the music. I stopped going to Barnes and Noble because the music was so loud. And the music was pretty bad, with a lot of singing that was either whiny or bellowing. I was wishing I brought earplugs.
12
Great news! I will pray every day for James Daunt's success, AND switch my book purchases to B&N.
3
I'm excited and hopeful about the changes Mr. Daunt wants to make at Barnes & Noble. I much prefer to buy books in person and I spend a good amount of time & money at my local Barnes and Noble store. My local store is more welcoming and better laid out than most of the Barnes and Noble. There is still so much room for improvement though. The ridiculous new toy section has squeezed the room for books and I can't find so many classic books I'm looking for anymore. They took away the book facing display of new books for each of the sections so I have a hard time finding new books I might like in my genre. The restrooms look like prison restrooms and need a complete re-do. The store is not that old but the carpets give the impression of being worn and shabby. The staff are the shining star of my local store. Mr. Daunt has his work cut out for him though with the physical condition of most of his B&N stores.
7
Put new book smell in a Kindle and it’s all over...
5
If you haven't been to a Daunt, you haven't lived.
I trust Mr. Daunt can help B&N reach greater heights.
3
My wife and I "discovered" Waterstones in London on our trip through the UK in June, and therafter went out of our way to enjoy and buy books at several in other towns over the next three weeks. Please, Mr. Daunt, remake B&N in their image!
4
Please, please, please add some more chairs! I would be happy with a wooden straight-back, just so I can have a few minutes to sit and look at what I am considering buying. Perhaps get rid of the toy section?
8
Nothing beats purchasing books from an actual bookstore, or browsing a library. It feels so much more personal. You can lose time so easily in a bookstore. I refuse to buy from Amazon if I can get the item somewhere else and I'm happy to pay a couple dollars more if it means I'm not buying from them.
I truly hope he succeeds and can bring a little bookstore magic back to B&N
107
Hoping B&N can be turned around. I live in a small town the mountains of NC. The nearest indie bookstore is 40 miles away and it is tiny and doesn't offer much. The nearest B&N is 2 hours away, but I go there whenever I can and load up on books. I have been dismayed, however at the shabbiness that has crept in and the massive number of toys and non-book items, which has reduced the depth of their inventory in many sections.I am an eclectic reader and I don't want to be offered just the bestsellers or latest thriller or love story. I go to the bookstore to make serendipitous discoveries, books I didn't even know I wanted to read. Good luck, Mr. Daunt.
235
@Julie Thank you Julie. I, too, am an eclectic reader. As I read my way though our community library as a kid, it was the joy of discovery that kept me reading. Today, in our public libraries, no one will ever 'stumble' across Thurber or Dickens.
And just maybe with a Britt at the helm, we will start getting Canadian and UK authors we have to beg for or special order in the States.
18
@Julie I'm a physical book person myself but do check into e-books to get your fix for the times you can't make it through the mountains. Not just Amazon but public libraries. In CA, you merely need to live in CA to use almost any library system. Hence, I will occasionally check out LA-based materials electronically even though I live in Nor Cal.
7
My friend and I used to make regular Saturday night treks to B&N, then the store starting cutting back its weekend hours. We might go on our own other days of the week but just spending an hour or two browsing and finding new reads and unexpected treasures made a perfect end to the week. And I must agree that, although I have enjoyed looking at the toys and puzzles, there are too many of them. I would keep the music and videos, but what we need more of in a bookstore is books. Looking forward to the revival of B&N.
13
Summer Challenge: As a young woman who loves to read, this article stands out to me because it shows evolution based on generations. As a kid, I always went to bookstores and would sit and read as many books possible. Now, I could simply look up an app and read. This article explained how because of current technology and the way it has changed overtime, reading has changed.
2
I like to visit London 2-3 times a year, and I love to spend part of a day in Waterstones. I wish Mr. Daunt success with B&N. In my years as a New Yorker, I loved B&N, and when in graduate school I loved going to the 16th St. store in Manhatttan. Next time I’m in London I’ll try to visit Daunt’s - it looks like an amazing bookstore!
5
Sad but true - the closest Barnes and Noble to San Francisco is in San Bruno at the Tanforan Mall, not exactly around the corner. When we had one in SF, it was extremely inconvenient for those of us who live here, close to Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf, where locals rarely go. Borders had four stores, all with much better locations. SF has a *lot* of empty storefronts in prime locations, and I hope that Barnes and Noble will consider coming back to SF, though our exorbitant rents may make that impossible.
I must confess to a soft spot for Barnes and Noble, as I remember my mother telling me that she bought her college texts at the original NYC 18th Street store in the 1930s, and subsequently shopping there myself 50 years later.
4
@Bluevoter But SF Bay Area has lots of great indies: I like Books, Inc., City Lights, Copperfields (local chain in Marin), Book Passages, Moe's and Pegasus (in Berkeley), etc. My fave used is the Green Apple. And of course, the public libraries are cool.
2
I wish him well - here in Cambridge we are still blessed with a few independent bookstores, tho far less than there used to be. But when visiting family in Forest Hills, NY, I am saddened by the closure of Barnes and Noble, where the neighborhood students used to hang out.
3
I welcome the hope of keeping Barnes and Noble alive. I also welcome the idea of improving them and disconnecting them from the publishers dictates.
My only concern is that it may not be enough. The whole book creation industry is a mess right now. In the past, publishers would be on the hunt for new and interesting authors. Now they only want famous people who can sell their book. At least in nonfiction. This is in part because the publishers haven't kept up with technology. They could be developing email lists of followers with genre preferences (kinda like Goodreads) and then send out targeted emails when they have some thing new and wonderful coming out. With time readers would learn who publishes and recommends the books they like. And publishers would no longer be dependent on and author's platform (or how famous they are) to develop and promote a book.
It will certainly help if bookstores are free to promote the books they feel are good but it may not be enough. We are losing the thoughts and ideas of new authors who are not rich or famous or connected. That's a real loss.
We need to rethink the whole industry so it works from author to buyer and all in between.
10
I have visited the Waterstones in Dunfermline, Scotland a few times. I did not find it as personalized or as welcoming as Daunt hopes. As a former Borders bookseller, I have a standard higher than most for chain stores. I love a local store and B&N will never be that.
3
Much as I enjoyed this story and do like book stores, I've determined to buy no more Nook books and never go to the Barnes and Noble stores again due to the recent buyout. Just bought out by Paul Singer, Elliott Management.
Singer is active in Republican Party politics and Singer and others affiliated with Elliott Management are collectively "the top source of contributions" to the National Republican Senatorial Committee.. Not a reason to put everyone off wanting the chain to succeed obviously but it's definitely enough for me.
12
@Bobbi Bowman In a sense, I agree with you. However, I suspect that the vast majority of corporate leaders are viciously right-wing, not caring what happens to the rest of us as long as they reap huge salaries and bonuses.
If I made my shopping decision entirely based on corporate owners, very few possibilities would remain. :(
6
wait. what? there's nothing here about them. can you provide sources, please? (sadly, this would deeply affect me, but I agree with you, and if true... I'll have to bid goodbye to B&N)
1
@Bobbi Bowman Oh, no. It feels as though everything in America, everything, is tainted. Republicans = Greed.
Humble suggestion: No longer have books on the shelves shrink-wrapped in plastic. This practice at B&N is self-defeating, in my opinion. Personally, I find the ability to browse to be one of the biggest advantages of bookstores over online purchasing. In fact, bookstores could outdo academic libraries in that respect, given that in recent years so many academic libraries have begun squirreling away books in off-site storage. This practice is detrimental to scholarship and simple curiosity as well, since it robs us of the serendipitous discovery of books on a topic of interest that we might not otherwise know about; still an advantage that B&N enjoys. Also, the B&N I frequent (going there soon) has a chaotic used book section; more care and feeding of that area would be nice. And, has B&N considered partnering with an outfit like Abe Books which specializes in out-of-print?
Take these suggestions for what they're worth. I wish him luck, because if Amazon takes over, bye bye books.
4
I’m a little surprised at the crowds cheering for the success of Barnes & Noble. I’d prefer shopping truly local, where any profit is distributed to a local owner, not a few investor overlords or remote shareholders. I lived in London - Waterstone’s really isn’t that great, although I sometimes did shop there before I finally sourced a few decently charming independent stores including some used book sellers like Word On The Water (a must for booklovers visiting London). Waterstone’s helps makes up the bizarrely uniform and boring landscape of the British high street. The same sampling of boring chain stores and eateries that occupy EVERY main street in London feels particularly odd in London where I expected a much more robust mix of independent retail, like I had known in New York. Here in Santa Barbara, our Borders and Barnes & Noble have shuttered. We have a few awesome independent bookstores that live on, likely with increased traffic due to the death of Barnes & Noble here. They always seem busy when I’m there. I’d prefer to shop there over a chain any day. Then again I am exceedingly lucky to live in a city with a treasure trove of independent retail - I suppose in other places perhaps a Barnes & Noble is worth fighting for. In its absence there could be nothing.
4
@Britt
The reason "crowds cheering for the success of Barnes & Noble" is they don't have much choice. There aren't many local booksellers in many areas; the choice is B&N vs Amazon..
2
Waterstones is good, but it’s almost the McDonalds of the Book World. Any store in the country has the same books; big name paperbacks, high-sellers, airport reading etc.
That’s fine for some instances, but not in the same league of variety, rarity or esoterica that you get with a Blackwells, Foyles London or an independent.
4
BN can feel too much like a franchise. A good thing to change. They have stores in such wonderful locations but they often feel like my local store.
I appreciate the local focus of independent bookstores especially when they are reflections of their communities. I expected and found that Pass Christian Books in Mississippi could offer something unique and specific to their locale, something different, from say, The Bookstore of Gloucester in Massachusetts.
BN could be much better. Also... I can never find a third book I want for the "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" deal.
5
I’m partial to Stanford’s when I’m in London, but I never miss an opportunity to visit a Waterstones (or ANY bookstore in the UK). Growing up going to Von’s in W. Lafayette, IN set me on a path to a life long love affair with great bookstores. I used to love B&N—date night for my husband and I when our kids were young-but B&N lost it’s charm, became generic, and we quit going years ago.
For me, entering a bookshop lined with books, with all the secret nooks and niches is like going on an adventure—I never know what I’ll find nor with what I’ll wind up! I had the pleasure to experience Village Books in Bellingham WA last year. I spent hours wandering around, picking books, perusing them in the chairs they have put around for just that purpose. I ended up buying a book on pizza making and one about lost maps, in addition to a couple of novels I don’t think I would’ve otherwise found. Book buying is a pleasure, not a requirement, and shopping for the book is a large part of that experience. And for those who say a town can’t support it, it can if it’s a destination! Bellingham has less than 100,000 people.
I will not read a book on an ereader (it’s enough I have to read my papers that way). I like to take books to read while traveling and leave them—in airports, trains, hotels, Airbnbs, host’s homes, etc-as a gift for the next person (I also do free libraries at home. Books are a great unifier.
I wish Mr Daunt well. The world would be a sadder place without bookstores.
6
I'm a librarian and oversee the book purchases for a large specialized library. Amazon is not good for books.
Recently, my father told me he had order a copy of a literature classic for my daughter on Amazon and that it was on back order and that she should receive it in a couple of weeks. Back order? I wondered if there had been a recent rush on the title due to a popular article or an impending movie release. I looked the title up myself and found that there were many and misleading results because the book had passed into public domain. So the Penguin or Dover editions, inexpensive and available, were hard to find among poorly printed, over priced print-on-demand editions, which is what arrived in our mail. A pixel-ated cover image, small type, poor layout. She'll likely not read it and my dad's out $15. Thanks for nothing, Amazon.
Stick to real bookstores and libraries where people care about books and reading, not just selling.
9
Bst wishes, Mr Daunt, and best wishes for Barnes & Noble too! We want bookstores full of books - new ones, old ones, fashionable ones, oddities as well. We like to poke around, find unexpected things, see what other are reading. We do not want pie of children's toys to greet us at the door. That photo of the B&N in Manhattan was soul-draining, but I really wanted to enter the open doors of those Daunt/Waterstones shops at the top of the article!
8
I rarely buy from a brick & mortar store. Why? Because, even in NYC, the books are sort of standard US published fare for the masses.
What I would like to see is fiction that wasn't written by a resident of a large industrialized nation. Reprints of out-of-print older mysteries (someone must be able to get the rights) and mysteries that aren't by American or English authors. Plus fewer books about current events that you should have learned about by reading newspapers and magazines.
I know I'm in the minority here, but I also know that lots of people don't like what is being offered by the publishers & bookstores. Maybe the new B&N can drum up demand for more interesting reading.
2
@m.pipik for NYC brick and mortar independent not cookie cutter book store suggest visit Three Lives & Company, West 10th Street and Waverly Place
Also for mysteries The Mysterious Bookshop, 58 Warren Street
@m.pipik Visit your local library. Some even have used book stores within them. Also, learn other languages: if you only read English, you will be limited by what's translated even ahead of what is published.
Thought it's nice to have instant access at AMAZON, please save B&N. I love bookstores. I love the art on the covers the smell and just browsing around. I miss the old stores, really and running into people and talking.
I'd rather drive my electric Chevy Bolt to the B&N and be with the books, and we don't get our juice from coal. We're part of a co-op.
Good luck Mr. Daunt.
4
Generally speaking, the best thing about physical bookstores is the employees. Book lovers find their way into chain bookstores as well as small indies. The worst thing about chain bookstores is when the mgt will not allow the booklovers in their stores to do what they do best--share the love of a good book. It was those people--booksellers and librarians--who gave my debut novel the boost it needed, no co-op involved. I've been down in the dumps about the future of B&N, but Mr Daunt gives me hope.
3
A bookstore saved my sanity when I was going through a hard time in my life many years ago. Browsing there was like stepping into a different world. Now that my eyes are failing I use my kindle almost exclusively because i can adjust the font and the light to suit my eyes. Iprefer the kindle to large print books,plus not all the books I want to read are published in large print. I hope Mr Daunt can save B&N.
5
Summer challenge: As a young woman I have always loved to read books. Libraries and bookstores have always been my go-to as a child to read. I didn’t have the option to simply go on my phone and read. This is why the article stands out to be the most. As the years go by, technology is improving drastically. As technically improves, the way reading used to be, has changed. Barnes & Noble is not so common anymore. All people really have to do is simply go on their phone and download a reading app. Back then, it was not so easy, which is why book stores were so often used.
1
This article gets several things right. I go to a Daunt bookstore near work in the City and it feels like an independent bookstore - wood floors and shelves, 1 or two staff who will help direct you to the right section and at checkout but not pushy or hovering annoyingly and the store open late in the evenings and weekends when every other store in the area is closed.
6
"Amazon can tell you what you might like based on what you’ve already purchased, but it doesn’t spotlight unknown books that deserve a wide audience."
Not so. Amazon promotes all kinds of products on its home page.
Further, Amazon sells more than books, so it can profile customers based on EVERYTHING they have ever purchased or even simply browsed. Thus, Amazon has a huge advantage over bricks-and-mortar booksellers.
1
@LKC
The negative is that Amazon is owned by an ego-driven cheapskate right out of Charles Dickens. Employees at Amazon’s warehouses are treated badly. I never buy from Amazon.
1
Fondly do I remember the many-storied Barnes and Noble on 66th and Broadway in Manhattan, which was usually quite full on any given evening. Last night I went to one in a different city and as usual, there was just one other person, sitting in a chair, working on a computer. Otherwise, it was a ghost town, as it is most of the time I go in there.
I hate to say it but it doesn't look great for this company, or books in general. They'll still be around, of course, same as vinyl, but at a fraction of what they once were.
2
The last best bookstore in America is Elliott Bay Books in Seattle. Its books and magazines, even its merch, are highly curated, the shelf talkers are smart, and the frequent buyer policy generously rewards repeat business. Unfortunately I live near the vaunted Powells, and it has pegged its survival on becoming a mega church like Barnes and Noble: big, impersonal, with policies that serve the bottom line, not customers. Powells is fed by publishers pushing big names, just what Daunt deplores. Powells is like a physical instantiation of Amazon, where, however, everything is sold at twice the price.
And this is one of the most problematic aspects of loving bookstores as I do. Few provide the experience that make spending at full retail price a feel good experience.
I hope Daunt’s practices change the nature of bookselling in general—even more radically than he is doing.
Hope against hope! We live within a short drive of a Barnes and Nobles and considered it one of the bright spots of our neighborhood. Over a decade we have held our breath as the store transformed from a Nook centered venue to a DVD Mecca and all the time watched various bookseller retail model ideas come and go . As educators we know too well that reading is dying a tortuous slow death among younger people. What we read about the new ownership and the CEO gave us hope and we concur with his thinking and love the enthusiastic attitude. If you need two passionate book centric professors of a certain age we are available for part time gigs. Give them all you got. Bravo.
1
This is one of the most engaging articles I have read in a long time. A good bookstore is hard to find. Bring them back! Bring them on! just bring them to us.....
7
If you are a Real Salesperson, price does not matter. The most basic principle in marketing is “Find what they want and give it to them in spades”. He understands this.
I was in B n’ N yesterday looking for advanced books on photography. The shelf location was moved (again) in a remote corner. I had to wade past piles of junk books, knickknacks, kids action toys (no associated books to be seen) to find a very thin selection. To get a price equivalent to Amazon I had to join the “discount club” again for $25. This reminded me that it was a year since I last renewed and I haven’t set foot in the store.
Meanwhile I have patronized a very small independent bookstore 25 miles away for much of my reading. I also needed information on RV travel, off-roading, maps to Canada, camping, Alaska culture which are only accessible on the web or Amazon.
I can’t wait for the makeover to arrive here at B n’N which is 5 minutes from my home. I just hope it doesn’t close first.
3
Waterstones sounds like Borders. Borders was a great independent bookstore in Ann Arbor, then it was bought by K-Mart, which scaled it up to a massive chain. The new Borders stores were more corporate than the original, but they still retained a lot of 'serious book store' features, especially selection beyond the hyped best-sellers. They even had a journals section where I once got an issue of The Baffler. B&N always struck me as a faux Borders, trying for the same 'look' inside the store, but only achieving it superficially, with just typical mass marketing underneath.
The question I think Daunt should address then is 'why did Borders fail.' Or, more specifically, how much was the problem the retail concept becoming overcome by the age of Amazon – the reason so many excellent independent bookstores have gone under – and how much was it a case of the kind of soulless management of that concept that was sinking the HMV version of Waterstones?
Anyway, I really miss Borders, so I hope Daunt can revive B&N. But methinks he needs to offer the full-time staff a living wage...
1
Unfortunately the few Barnes & Noble I have access to are in wretched grandiose shopping malls. That may be part of he problem. Having to navigate through a din of consumerist fantasy leaves me exhausted and not really ready for the effort of contemplating my next read.
2
In today’s rough and tumble it’s easy to say that reading books holds no water for people on the cutting edge of society.
I can’t remember the last time I had the time to sit down and read a book cover to cover.
It is my opinion that people who write books are trying to make money the old fashioned way, they burn it...
Welcome to America, Mr. Daunt. I wish you success in battling the economists of Barnes & Nobles, who no doubt will continue relentlessly to push around their cost curves so as to increase profits at the expense of ruining the brand. Investing in people's need to physically connect--there's the future!
4
The big names NYC stores are now seem to be struggling perhaps because they got too big and unmanageable. I remember Barnes and Noble and Barney's somewhere around 17 street in Manhattan during my college days in NYC. Barney's went to Madison Avenue and to many states and now have declared bankruptcy. Barnes and Noble knocked out the small book stores now they are struggling. I don's feel sorry for them after seeing how they came to South Florida and knocked out Joe's bookstore where I was able to buy interesting books and audio magazines from the UK that Barnes and Noble did not sell.
1
Good luck to you.
Two things: a little schlock is funny and cute, but when there is so much of it you have trouble moving around in the store, it's off-putting. I used to visit the local B&N with a friend in a wheelchair. It was almost impossible to move him around the store.
Also, please don't make the checkout staff do the interminable upsell to the B&N discount card with every single customer. It takes so long to make a purchase even if there are just two people in line ahead of you because each of those people listens to the whole spiel. This is a major reason why I shop online, tbh. Once I make my selection I want to buy it and leave.
5
the spiel is required by corporate and failure to deliver it reflects directly on the performance assessment of the manager and the bookseller.worst part of the job
2
Almost never shop in B&N anymore. Piles of junky games , never anything I like to Browse anymore. If I am looking for something specific it’s never there, and takes a week to order. I save a lot of my book buying and browsing for yearly trips to England, which I am very fortunate to be able to do. I hope Mr Daunt can turn things around.
2
Okay, I’m a book nut and this guy, James Daunt, seems like a guy who understands me. I buy and read about thirty books a year. Years ago, when Borders and Walden Books closed, I started shopping at Books-A-Million. This later was my favorite book store. It seemed more like a noisy library than a book store. I avoided Barnes & Noble because it seemed “artificial” and was really not about books. When all the others closed and I changed locations, I was left only with Barnes and Noble. I even brought their e-reader before I found out I can not read a book on an e-reader as a book. I gave up on Barnes and Noble. I now buy all my books from AMAZON because it really reminds me of Books-A-Million. I hope Mr. Daunt can turn Barnes and Noble into a book store as opposed to a public relations forum for clueless publishers.
3
Last time I went to Barnes and Noble I couldn’t find a copy of Leaves of Grass but there were 12 different LEGO sets for sale.
9
I wish I could post a picture. In my purse I have a book and my Kindle. The book is underlined and well read. I haven't turned on the Kindle in months.
5
I went to a Waterstone's in Glasgow last winter and was so impressed. I bought four British imprints of books I already had. I thought "Why can't America have something like this," and then I read some time ago about the hedge fund buying B&N. So I'm very much looking forward to what they can do. There used to be four B&N's near me. Now there's just the Union Square store. And they still sell Blu Rays and cds, so there is a good reason to try to save the company. Otherwise our culture will be reduced to whatever Best Buy has in its mostly empty racks and the local pharmacy. Although I've read that independent bookstores are coming back so that's a good sign too.
3
My husband and I always pop into our local Waterstones when we are in town. Although I do buy e-books from Amazon, I only buy fiction, and that is because there is very little space on our bookshelves for extra books. In spite of this, we both always end up buying books at Waterstones because they stock such a fantastic selection, and many books are published with such stunning dust-covers, which are visually irresistible. All the staff employed there are friendly, helpful and extremely knowledgable - if the shop isn’t too busy, they are happy to chat about books, which I appreciate. They hold book-signings and other events, but ours don’t have a book-club - I am forced to attend one at our local pub.
42
@Joanne Downs Never, ever buy anything from Amazon if you love books.
2
Hopefully he will have an impact and turn B&N around. Fortunately my town has an excellent bookstore that is 1/ cheaper than Amazon and 2/ can get a title faster than Amazon if it's not in stock. This does not leave me with a mountain of packing material to sort and pay to dispose of. Amazon is mostly a myth, don't buy anything from it.
5
I like Mr. Daunt's ideas - and used to shop at his first store - but I've also shifted to e-books for reasons of practicality and ecological impact. His plans won't keep me from shopping at Amazon for those books. I don't appreciate their proprietary format (which I convert to EPUB), but it is handy to have a record of my purchases in one place. I haven't found another option that's as convenient and reliable.
6
I struggle between ereading and physical editions. The ability to search, annotate is great for ereading, but I increasingly find it a soulless experience. Also, there is some research that questions retention with ebooks you might be interested to check out.
2
@Evil Overlord
E-books are so 2006. Sales are flat. Almost nobody really cares anymore.
1
Is Barnes and Noble worth saving?
In Ann Arbor, it helped drive small bookstores out of business before going belly up itself.
It dealt less with books, though of course it sold the usual best sellers, and more in over-priced googaws.
Yes, the clerks were sometimes quirky and interesting. They still are, but as readers, they have few employment opportunities in our plodding society.
5
@John Briggs
That was the old, original Barnes & Noble. You need to get over it.
@Jason Bennett
Well, gee, it's not an obsession. I just never much liked the atmosphere. I hope this guy succeeds with his corporate cozy plan. Meanwhile, the public library works pretty well.
1
As a book lover, this is an old dream come true. Back in 2013, I went into a lovely, tourist oriented Waterstone's at a Motorway service area (!) on my way out of Heathrow. I got something to great to read and some tourist guides for my vacation in England and I remember saying "I wish Barnes & Noble would do this!!!!". Since then, going back to the UK, I've found the perfect thing to read at Waterstone's in Edinburgh, Salisbury, and even little Hexham, England. Each of the stores are lovely, have an individual feel, and seem to have exactly what you need. I only have one bookstore in my neighborhood here in NYC - it's Barnes and Noble. Last January, I vowed to never go in again after yet another bad experience. I can never find anything, the staff are often surly, it's dirty and dated looking, and like the article says "there's crap everywhere". Rather than walking there, I take the subway to the few other independent NYC bookstores. Hopefully, now I'll have a neighborhood bookstore again.
14
@Ned Richards yes, best thoughts for Waterstones in airports. a novel picked up on a whim from Waterstones in the Leeds airport kept me enthralled on a two day ordeal to get back to NYC. i am glad to read you here in NYC find independent bookstores, as do i
I love my b and n and will not buy anything from Amazon unless I can't find it anywhere else. So many people come to my store to read the magazines and then put them back on the shelf. No sales there. Books, more so. Always a line at the checkout. I would miss this store if it were gone. No real complaints from me.
5
A bookstore that has Books on a variety of topics that I want to read, versus what the publishers think I should read. I can’t wait!
8
Kids' toys and "stuff" have taken over a part of our local B&N. The gradual takeover by items other than books has diminished my interest to frequent the store. Kudos to Mr. Durant. Welcome to America.
23
@Sara Jane
I agree. I have gotten tired of all the kiddie stuff, and I do mean stuff/junk. Parents now bring their kids to B&N just to get them out of the house.
2
@Sara Jane Same here in Denver, I noticed the growing creep of "stuff" rather than books for sale throughout the store.
2
I am greatly looking forward to improvements that Mr. Daunt may be able to make to Barnes & Noble shops. I am a great fan of Daunt Books in London, and wish Mr. Daunt well.
The book covers that publishers choose for UK releases are much, much more attractive than those that we see in bookshops over here in the States. American publishers seem to be drivel to have increasingly large, bold type faces dominating the covers. The covers vie in competition with their display neighbors.
It would be grand if Mr Daunt might somehow influence publishers to have the publishers increase the creative approach to covers. Employ more artists!
11
@Frances
Yes, UK covers are usually more interesting. And there are some lovely reads widely popular in the UK (I find them in airport bookshops) that would do very well here. Let's get a bit more Trans-Atlantic!
3
In the library world, it is called "readers advisory", in the bookstores, its called "hand selling". Means the same thing, someone is suggesting a book because they know the collection and they know what you would like. It is like a friend's recommendation. That is what moves books, that is what makes best sellers. And it is what you get in a well run bookstore.
12
@sjs
I would add that the collection/stock is better in an interdependent book store. Maybe because an individual chooses the books? I was just in River Bend Books in Glastonbury, CT and I would have like to have taken home about half the books in the shop (we took 3). Great selection.
3
If B and N can obtain German language books for me, I’ll abandon Amazon.
2
Mr Daunt, I think I love you.
6
Hope he succeeds. I love the B&N in Akron.
5
'... “co-op fees” paid by publishers.'
To clarify, the generic term for that arrangement is "cooperative advertising", and the system is not unique to the publishing business.
See "Advertising For Dummies" by Gary Dahl.
2
He faces a daunting task, taking on Amazon, the world's biggest takeaway operation....
3
“...with books that customers actually want to buy, as opposed to the ones that publishers are eager to sell.”
This is key.
I enter bookstores not to gawk at assembly line titles but to discover something I would like to be surprised with.
18
I went into my local Barnes & Noble looking for a Sunday New York Times. The man at the information desk looked it up on his laptop and said, "Oh, it's a newspaper. We don't carry it."
"Oh, it's a newspaper"?!?!?
39
I don't like that B&N makes you pay $25 for its rewards card.
16
@PrairieFlax
But Amazon charging you $12.99 a month is okay?
2
@Carmela Sanford Did I say I am a Prime customer? (And Prime does cover many shipping charges, good for those of us out here in flyover country.)
@PrairieFlax
We're also Prime members - but we do that primarily to get fast delivery of items we need real soon (vs. getting $1 for digital items when we don't need prompt delivery) - and also, our Prime membership provides free shipping (whereas otherwise it's necessary to spend $35 per shipment for free shipping and there are many instances when we wouldn't meet that threshold).
Bring it on!
And what a perfect antidote to an infamous former New York City businessman/grifter, one who without doubt has never been in a bookstore and has a chain [dare one say infestation?] of hotels and resorts dedicated to the celebration of himself.
9
Good luck!
4
I hope he keeps my local B & N and makes it look like the bookstores in these photos. Lovely and welcoming...maybe add some wood paneled conference rooms where book clubs could meet.
9
We hung out as a family in the early 2000s at Waterstones near Charing Cross station. What a fabulous, comfortable place where I always found something great to read to take back to our village up north. Upon returning to the States I tried desperately to get even a smidgeon of that experience at the late Borders and now B & N. Always a disappointment. Hate being asked to join their book club, hate traversing the game/toy junk tables and like Mr Daunt despise the buy 2 get one 3 desperate, tension building gimmick. Please, please, Sir, come to ABQ first!!
9
I hope he gets them to stop playing the music they're trying to sell.
I stopped shopping for books at B & N because it was impossible to concentrate with that music playing in my ears.
Employees told me that they hated having to listen to the repetitive sounds of whatever the store was currently trying to push on customers that day.
12
@DR Yes! I won't buy a book without reading the first few pages, and if I can't hear myself think then I'll never get those pages read.
1
I still can't resist Barnes and Nobles and Powell's.
I miss Kroch's and Brentano's, Crowns and Borders.
I abhor and shun Amazon as much as I can. But it is increasingly difficult.
8
I wonder what Mr. Daunt thinks of the handful of Amazon bookstores. I live in Seattle, and the first Amazon bookstore is just down the street.
Now that it has put the lion’s share of bookstores out of business, Amazon has the cheek to sell physical books, just to rub salt in the wound.
I was a convert to digital books on Apple Books/Kindle early on, because of the notations and ability to search texts. Now, reading on devices just feels empty. I was in my twenties when the first ebooks hit, so I remember a world without devices/ebooks. I have a fadeing memory of more vibrancy of life, and that includes the method of reading.
5
He seems like a great soul, but I fear the framing in this article is off. They try to posit it as a David and Goliath situation when it’s really an old, tired Goliath (B&N) trying to fight a younger more fit Goliath (Amazon). Let us not forget the damage B&N did to our local bookstores in the last 20 years. This guy seems cool, but I have zero sympathy for companies just NOW realizing their megastore tactics aren’t sustainable. Support David (your local, independent bookstores!!).
13
I know lots of children, many of them teenagers, who are voracious book readers.
They know flipping pages is still a better way to read than scrolling a screen.
8
It's funny to read Daunt's philosophy - it's exactly what Borders was doing in 1995 when I started working there - each store a reflection of its community, booksellers valued. Borders went down the tubes when they brought in people who were great at running grocery stores. The common factor between grocery stores and bookstores is low margins. But the grocery store people had no, and I mean no, idea about what a bookstore was beyond a way to make money for a corporation. If Borders had found Daunt in 2000 when the downward spiral began, Borders would still be going strong today. May B&N survive and thrive!
35
@Donna. Thanks for sharing this...I used to love Borders, and enjoyed how a store on Kauai was wonderfully different from one in California to Illinois. Comfy chairs. Great local food so you could spend all day there, before leaving with armfuls of books.
Then one day every Borders was alike and depressing to shop in.
May Daunt succeed!
2
I miss my Borders with its Chai tea 😢
1
One can only hope he will turn the tide against relentless pop music inside bookstores that makes reading or even thinking about what one might want to read impossible.
10
Long live good bookstores!
13
I wonder how he will work with high school students who use B&N as a library (open much later) and the folks who sit in the AC using the free WiFi for HOURS ( at least here in NYC)....
3
@NYCSandi
I share your sentiments; I've encountered people (primarily teenagers) countless numbers of times when they're sprawled out in the aisles, and they're totally impervious to the rest of us (that would be the customers).
I have been in the Waterstone bookstores in London and Dublin and they are the best bookstores I have ever been in. I sincerely hope Mr. Daunt can turn B&N around.
11
Have always loved going to B&N. Now I take my kids there. It's closing would be a cultural loss similar to the Nytimes closing up shop.
On a side note, Amazon and other online corporate juggernauts should pay significantly more taxes. They have evaded and exploited our tax system long enough.
15
For years I suggested to my sister that my tombstone should read, “She was the kind of woman who spent her clothes budget money at Barnes & Noble”. Lately not quite. This morning, I have new hope.
14
Waterstones is GREAT - layout, selection, service, cafes - also the bibliophile staff seem to enjoy their work - just a few hours shopping in the spacious Manchester store reassures me that civilization has not ended. (I plan to go back soon for a badly needed fix, antidote to too much T---p in the news)
Thank you Mr Daunt, and best of luck with Barnes and Noble -
15
Looks like Barnes & Noble will be facing a daunting future. Hopefully, a lengthy one, as it is my favorite bookstore. The local bookstores were driven out by Amazon and B & N years ago. The nearest today about 8 miles distant.
On the argument over angle of the lowest book shelf, I would find a preference for even greater than 3 or 4 degrees. My back cannot countenance too much bending to read the small spinal print, so I often have to summon assistance from the very helpful B & N staff to retrieve my preference.
I am seldom disappointed.
3
A cathedral of books is just what is needed at Barnes and Noble, not the barn and barnyard they presently display.
10
Saving bookstores from Amazon? Bless you!
12
As a banker who doesn’t get to share my boring banker stories with anyone who will listen, I’m pulling for Mr. Durant to save Barnes and Noble.
7
The Waterstones on Piccadilly is a great bookstore, one of my favourites. Kinokuniya in Singapore is the best bookstore I've ever visited. I look forward to visits to both and I always leave with at least one book that I wasn't anticipating purchasing. Stocking a wide selection is the key so that browsing is a discovery process.
6
Not one mention about pricing. The last time I was in B&N most books were not discounted and they don't even price match their own website. I had to order online to get 30% off, and wait an hour before I could pickup from the very store which had the book in the first place.
I don't care how lovely the bookstore will be, if it's not going to be price competitive with Amazon I'm generally not going to be shopping there. Sorry.
7
@doug
The problem is that B&N has to pay the salaries of employees in all of its stores and also rent & associated expenses (insurance, upkeep, security, etc.), therefore they could never make a profit (or very much of one) if they discounted books in stores.
The issue here is that Britain has more pedestrian traffic than most American cities. A curated, tastefully designed place that draws shoppers in will only work if a customer happens to be walking by and decides to spend some time browsing. In NYC and Boston and Chicago this could perhaps work but elsewhere going to the bookstore means deciding to make that your driving destination which is fraught with traffic, fuel, time considerations that still make ordering on Amazon much more convenient.
8
It's a pleasure to see Mr. Daunt pictured in front of a bookcase filled with Persephone books--the small publisher whose own quirky, welcoming store is on Lamb's Conduit Street in Bloomsbury.
8
If I were running the show I would say there is little point in angling bookshelves three degrees that are above eye level. Those shelves should not be tilted upward. Just look at the bookshelf in the background of the photo of James Daunt. It's counterproductive.
2
All he has to do is put more BOOKS on the shelves. Get rid of the toys, the nook section (which takes up half the store) etc.
I still miss Borders Bookstore. They had books.
48
@Greg
Indeed! Borders stocked good books with the spine toward the customer, which means many more books and a greater selection on the shelf.
10
@Aristotle Gluteus Maximus
and we loved them for that :)
3
I am an avid reader who lives in a small apartment in Manhattan. I had boxes and boxes of books that I donated to free up space in my apartment. I bought a Nook and I love it!!! It's a wonderful "gadget" plus it provides "storage" for my books.
1
As a second job I work at a Barnes and Noble. It saves my sanity. I meet stimulating and sympatico customers all the time. My fellow booksellers are wonderful; sometimes I feel like we are characters in some zany screwball comedy. Did I mention it saves my sanity? The people I work with and my customers are my people. Thank you Thank you thank you Mr. Daunt. There are no words that I can come up with that can convey my/our love of books, that don't sound like a Capra movie
190
@bronx girl. In the late 80's I worked part-time at the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop in New York City. It had been started by Craig Rodwell, a man who wanted a space for books featuring authors writing about LGBTQ subjects (it actually opened in 1967, two years before Stonewall. The first Pride Parade in 1970 was partially planned in the small storefront on Christopher St). It was a small space filled with books that opened up my mind and heart to so many things about LGBTQ issues. There were usually only 2 or 3 of us working at any time in the store, but the staff was great and Craig was a patient and encouraging boss. The customers were representative of the community of Greenwich Village, NYC, and visitors from everywhere. I learned much from them them, too. I was only there for several hours a week, but they were often the highlight of my day. I spent about 90% of my paycheck on books from the store!
Working there was a small blessing, but an important one. I doubt working at a chain bookstore would allow for such a wonderful employment experience. I hope Mr Daunt can work some magic at B&N that allows for a more meaningful experience not just for the customers, but for the staff.
4
Finally someone who understands the issue with chain retail is not just price. It's that right now, shopping on Amazon is a better experience than walking into most American retail chains, Barnes and Noble included. A bookstore should not feel like a WalMart. Amazon can't compete with a curated, personal, great experience in a physical space, but American retail (certainly the chains) hardly ever provide that experience. Maybe this will start to change at Barnes and Noble. I hope so.
44
I wish Mr. Daunt the very best in his efforts to save Barnes & Noble.
Here in Washington, aside from the Amazon store that was recently opened in Georgetown, there are NO major retail bookstores.
When I came to the city to live and work in the early 1990s, there were several retail bookstores here, which as a fervent bibliophile, made for a delightful discovery.
As the 1990s proceeded apace, Barnes & Noble came to town, setting up bookstores in Georgetown (1992), Union Station (a major shopping, cinema & eating mecca through which one of the subway lines runs near Capitol Hill), and in the heart of downtown (late 1990s). By the end of 2015, all 3 stores had been closed.
The Amazon bookstore here was disappointing. I browsed the shelves on both floors last year and felt underwhelmed by what I saw. Frankly, the bookstore felt rather impersonal to me. I have no intention of returning there.
Kudos to Mr. Daunt! Once you've successfully revamped Barnes & Noble, please give a thought to establishing a Barnes & Noble mega-bookstore back into the heart of this city.
It makes no sense for the capital city of the United States not to have a major retail bookstore in its very heart.
20
@Wes
There are plenty of independent bookstores in town. They're not big, presumably because the market won't support them.
4
@Wes
Dear Washington Wes,
About 15 years ago when we were visiting Washington, one of the highlights of our trip (other than all
of the glorious museums) was visiting a real hometown bookstore with a bar and restaurant in the back. The wood floors were worn, the shelves were packed with gems, and the patina of the place made our book buying experience a joy. I think it was called Kramer’s. Lovely literature memory...
3
@Evil Overlord
I often patronize Politics & Prose (P&P), which is the major independent bookstore here in Washington. Many of the book readings/discussions it offers are often televised on CSPAN Book TV on the weekends.
But I think the city could again support a major retail bookstore. After all, London continues to have some of the best major retail bookstores in the world, along with a number of reputable, independent bookstores. I think Washington DC should have the same. We are an international city, for cryin' out loud!!!
2
I like their stores, so I wish them well here. That said, my town has some great urban independent shops. I get my books there, usually.
Funny thing is how little I use Amazon for books. Other items, yes.
9
Any neighbourhood is better for having a bookstore in it. Whether chain or independent, bookstores bring people together around the concept of reading and engaging the mind in story and ideas. Daunt has mastered the formula for designing bookstores that lift the spirit and make you feel good just being there. Real books (the ones you can hold in your hand) are a powerful antidote to screen addiction, particularly for children.
23
Over a year ago, I wandered around downtown Boston with some friendly strangers from the Internet. One of our stops was a little book store, tucked away in a back-alley, filled with books and maps and curios. It was a fine part of our romp.
Fond as I was of bookstores and libraries in my youth, I have had little time or focus for books in my adulthood. I still enjoy both, but I admit I remain more partial to bookstores with character.
5
Independent bookstores in America are undergoing a revival. Over the past 10 years almost 1000 have opened. I can think of 4 that haven opened that I can easily drive to. The future is looking good.
30
Finally someone who understands the issue is not just price. It's that right now, shopping on Amazon is a better experience than walking into most American retail chains, Barnes and Noble included. A bookstore should not feel like a WalMart. Amazon can't compete with a curated, personal, great experience in a physical space, but American retail (certainly the chains) hardly ever provide that experience. Maybe this will start to change at Barnes and Noble. I hope so.
7
We miss the days when we would just go to the bookstore to look around and invariably return home with at least a magazine but usually more. Picking up a book from the shelf, flipping through its pages, reading something that catches the eye are all highly enjoyable experiences. In Barnes & Noble nearby, there are more toys than books. I sure hope they become book stores again.
19
London just has great bookshops. Daunt’s bookshop in Marylebone is a heavenly place to browse books. It is all that a book lover could want in a bookstore. Waterstone’s and Hatchard’s in Piccadilly are also great places to buy a book. If Mr. Daunt can bring some of that magic to Barnes & Noble, I wish him all the luck in the world.
27
What an opportune time for Mr. Daunt. And nice he believes in across the board discount pricing instead of co-op agreements.
Macmillan Publishing and Blackstone Audio have notified a Washington State library (Timberland Regional in Olympia) that they will begin embargoing, ebooks and digital audiobooks for 8 weeks and 90 days, respectively. Evidently desperate to boost sales, after 8 weeks, a library can purchase one (yes, one) ebook for $60 - but only for 24 months or 52 checkouts. WDLC (Washington Digital Library Consortium) is going to boycott Blackstone for six months in protest, asking other libraries to join.
Most new fiction in mystery, detective genres are now serials...some with 15-25 books. Very few are packaged as combos- the first 5, etc. - so if Mr. Daunt wants to break the mold, this might be a first step. As with land, homes, it’s the price that discourages sales- not interest rates, and not, here, with libraries.
These publishing agreements, embargoes, one more area for antitrust, monopolistic Congressional inquiry - that may actually keep prices high, discourage competition. But great for publishers. Personally, I may drop my beloved Audible subscription- and wait for the library copy. I’d donate some of my purchased ebooks/audiobooks- but that’s not allowed, either. Nice for Barnes and Noble, publishers, all around.
5
When I was a teenager in the late 90s and early 2000s, Barnes and Nobles (and the now defunct Borders) were havens for the inquisitive, restless suburbanites youth. They were open until 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and were a safe, comfortable place where parents wouldn't have to worry about what their kids were up to. "Playing chess and reading Herodotus Mom!" Now they close early and often. Bring in the gamers and turn the stores into a warm communal space! That will bring the shoppers back.
16
@Chris Same. Used to hangout at our local suburban B and N which was housed in a former bowling alley with my brother late into the night.
1
It’s still vital to have brick and mortar bookstores, and hope this works well for all involved.
7
I hope he succeeds and does so by taking B&N back to basics. The photo of Daunt Books in this piece is exactly why I would choose to go to a physical books store. I want to see variety and I want to see books.
I do not want to see home schooling manuals or toys or stuffed animals. I go to a book store for books, magazines and, maybe, a print copy of a newspaper which I otherwise read via an online subscription to get the continuous updates.
A coffee concession is "nice" but not absolutely necessary and adds an expense that may not be worthwhile. Books. It is all about books.
29
I avoid B&N in its present state and currently buy used books off eBay (and then pass them on to friends or donate them) or listen to audiobooks on Overdrive courtesy of my public library. But I buy new books as gifts and then I absolutely love, love, love The Tattered Cover, Powell’s, Politics and Prose, Shakespeare & Co, Changing Hands... you get my drift. Mr Daunt, these independents have tremendous soul and have built incredibly loyal customer base. Not only are they well-loved in their communities, but they are well-loved globally and are destinations in their own right. Your task is (forgive me...) daunting...
9
@NinaMargo
Right on!
Love to browse bookstores when travelling or visiting cities. Shakespeare & Co has always been a favorite; Portland (0R) has one of the biggest shops I've ever seen. None of this lustre stuff, just books and lovely folks overseeing it all.
1
You can only save a store if it actually physically exists. Almost all of the B&N in my community of 1 million+ in the metro area are now closed. There's a single one left, and it's a 45 minute drive away from my home, way out in the ex-burbs.
2
Love this story. We travel a lot to the UK and I was always struck by how much I loved the bookstores including Waterstones. Aside from Tattered Cover in Denver and Books & Books in Miami before it became so present, and any number of stores in San Francisco, the bookstores in the States leave a lot to be desired. Barnes and Nobles? Goodness. The last time we visited for a magazine fix, the woman at the counter clearly refused to read cues. No, we don’t shop here enough to be a member of your club. Stop spitting the benefits and let me have my yummy fashion, foreign and design magazines. Shopping at B&N is usually overwhelmed by such pitches. I enroll in rewards programs at places to which I want to return, not ones through which I suffer. I hope this guy delivers B&N (and me) from the agony.
4
@milagro B&N bookseller here. We are required to sell memberships each and every time we interact with customers. We're not allowed to read the room. If we skip the sales pitches, we are reprimanded. And we're looking forward to Daunt providing new leadership.
19
Amazon appears to have a new algorithm that multi times a day sends book suggestions. Some good and on target, some generic.
I would love to see B&N revived into a Waterstones with more EU and UK book titles, music, and products that I cannot purchase on US Amazon. And it could benefit from children's book hours, better puzzles, and lectures. On Cape Cod in Winter the Hyannis store would be a big benefit to Mom's, retired with time, and non English second language selections.
Wonderful if he asked readers and book buyers what is missing in the current B&N.
6
People need bookstores - half the books I buy from Amazon are dinged or bent in one way or another. The trouble with Barnes & Noble is that it’s expensive (I’m not saying they need Amazon pricing but 5-10% off cover price without Byzantine memberships to “clubs” would be nice). They smell like coffee, which is fine but also kind of annoying. They have huge piles of stuff nobody wants - it’s like a literary dumping ground. And lastly the employees are dispirited...the video stores are gone, the art house cinemas are closing. These days the only jobs for moonlighting creative types are working in food service or some kind of “gig” mumbo-jumbo. It would be great if this new gent could restore some sense of artful agency to this segment of the retail economy.
17
An excellent article, and I'm happy to find I'm in good company in the comments. Bookstores, including B&N, have always been a refuge for me. Growing up in an abusive house, and then living as a closeted gay woman, I have very fond memories of escaping into stories, or learning about and reading of others like me, at B&N. During Don't Ask Don't Tell, I could always count on a B&N to be near whatever base I was at, with at least a tiny LGBT section where I could grab a book and wedge in in between my stack of sci-fi at the register. I have been so sad to see B&N's slide (junk on the tables), and am happy to see that Mr. Daunt understands what makes a bookstore heaven to some of us.
13
Really hope he turns Barnes and Noble around. Yes, at one time 20+ years ago, B&N was the problem but all brick and mortar book stores (chain or independent) now need our support. The lure of Amazon's 30-40% discount on popular books is strong but it's not worth it when no one else is left.
5
I got a shock when I sent free copies of a book I wrote about the 2016 election (anti-Trump) to “independent” bookstores owners.
I thought there would be some who would be willing to try the book out, especially after I got a national distributor and Kirkus review. I believed there would be some,with the same sentiments as mine, who would be eager do so!
(It was not scurrilous. It had only 50 pages, in the spirit of Tom Paine. It had a cover like a coffee table art book, a couple of pages on impeachment, a “Declaration” substitutingTrump’s offenses for George III’s, some Lewis Carrol-inspired timely verse, Trump quotes, historical quotes, and more.)
It remains almost unsold on Amazon, but widely distributed to people in politics and journalism.
I’ll send it to Mr. Daunt.
10
I wish him and his employees luck.
The pleasure of walking the aisles looking at titles in different sections just for the pleasure of it is unparralled, and then something draws you to one or two, almost metaphysical.
Nothing like this can be remotely replicated at Amazon website.
6
really hope he can turn B&N around...the one in my neighborhood is becoming a toy store...books seem to be a secondary thought. I'd prefer to buy from B&N, but the store is so annoying; now I just buy a couple of magazines and leave. When I get to the cash register I say: "no and no" - they know I've already answered their first two questions: do you have a membership, do you want a membership. Nope, not until they actually become a book store again. I'm ordering from Book Depository lately - about the same prices as Amazon and no delivery fees.
4
Book Depository was bought by Amazon in 2011.
1
Let’s not forget how aggressively B&N put small independent book shops out of business. I’m not sure a big chain can help us get back to a place where there were people, actual readers, that you could talk about book choices with. I don’t cry for B&N, I cry for my local small book shops it destroyed.
9
@BiffNYC so true...let's hear it for local independent bookstores...more are opening all the time...let's support them and keep our dollars in the local community...
3
Dear Mr. Daunt, The photo of store manager Kurde Atfield’s handwritten recommendation convinced me to buy Abir Mukherjee’s thriller! Welcome to the U.S. and can’t wait to see the new Barnes & Noble.
10
The problem with Barnes and Noble is that its selection is quite middle-brow and boring, as witnessed on the Upper West Side. To carry on such a culling of the wide spectrum of world intellect and literature is not valiant. If he can manage to make it into a bookstore rivaling the Strand, then I'll be happy.
6
I am thrilled that James Daunt is going to save Barnes & Noble and challenge Amazon. Just went back to visit family in San Mateo. I took my nephews to Barnes & Noble. The bookstore was packed with books and merchandise but it seemed to lack attention, love and care for books. The book selection was limited and there was the dreaded "Buy 2 and Get The 3rd One Free." Came back to England and loved my two hours at Waterstones - so much to peruse, so much to choose from, wonderful recommendations. Discovered and bought a hardcover book at full price.
Good Luck, James Daunt! Save Us from Amazon!
13
This article is reminding me that I haven't stopped by my local bookstore in a while -- I will be more conscientious about this!
6
I love bookstores, and I appreciate the Barnes & Noble near me in Amherst, New York, a suburb of Buffalo. It’s a busy store with a polite and knowledgeable staff. I like the experience of perusing books. I am a regular shopper there, and I’m happy it also carries DVDs, CDs, and vinyl LPs. However lately, the place is looking like a children’s toy shop, which disappoints me.
Something else I don’t like is that the store used to have New Fiction shelves at the start of the overall Fiction section, but corporate mistakenly got rid of them. Now I’m forced to walk around shelf after shelf after shelf to try to figure out what’s new in fiction. It’s time-consuming and silly, as nothing is highlighted as new.
Another thing that was tossed was Employee Current Favorite Reading Choices, which was a small display that I enjoyed and appreciated. I liked seeing the staff’s personal favorites. I hope it returns.
In this frenetic world, the simple pleasure of being in a book store with its myriad reading selections and sense of calm is a joy to experience.
I like holding the books that I read. I hope Mr. Daunt succeeds with Barnes & Noble in the United States the same way he has been successful with Waterstones in Great Britain.
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@MichaelCLikesBooksAndMovies It is truth that some stores have a big section for kids books and toys. It is funny cause I never thought about that. I like it though cause I have a child and I can have him there entertained while I check some books. Maybe they should have a different store for kids and teenagers. But, when you have kids it is very convenient to shop for both me and my son. And they do have interesting toys there, I like it. Nowadays, there are not many stores left for toys
6
@MichaelCLikesBooksAndMovies "Another thing that was tossed was Employee Current Favorite Reading Choices"
There are several independent bookstores wher I live, and elsewhere in Maine, and the ones I've been to all have Staff Selection shelves. I find that very useful.
14
@MichaelCLikesBooksAndMovies
In every paragraph you echo words that my customers at B&N have told me.Particularly, wanting to hold their books. The desire to hold and smell books is what I have anchored my hopes on as the store has been threatened. Thank you! and by the way, Employee Current Favorites is still up in my store, and I would bet that if you buttonhole an employee or two they will gladly tell you what their favorites are, if you would be kind and not ask them to name just one...
13
This is why we like the NYT. Forget the angry politics. Great detail right here about something unexpected and interesting.
361
@Terry NYT, more like this, please.
3
No, we like this AND the angry politics.
5
@DD
I wholeheartedly second that motion!
More articles like this, please please.
2
Hopefully, Mr. Daunt will get rid of the B and N membership fee. I get irritated every time I buy a book there and the clerk wants me to sign up for "membership". In my opinion, the store should offer a discount to any person who decides to make the long drive over there to buy a book from them.
Secondly, all of my kids detest B and N for their price-gouging on college textbooks....this includes the purchase of used books. These young people who have to borrow tons of money to get a college education feel cheated at every turn. This is no way for a company to treat their youngest and newest customers.
That said, I still buy from Barnes and Noble because I want to ensure Amazon has competition. That really doesn't sound like a good reason for a company to stay viable in the long run though.
I hope Mr. Daunt hears me!!
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@FarmGirl
If you're buying textbooks from a store, you are at Barnes & Noble College. It is a separate entity from regular Barnes & Noble, even though they are run by the same company, more or less.
13
Don’t buy college textbooks: rent for $10 a semester! I’m not going to promote any company-find one online!
5
@FarmGirl — News flash: Price gouging for textbooks is not just limited to B&N. Check out any college bookstore not run by B&N, and pay special attention to those texts that are created by professors for their specific classes, which are “required” purchases (of course).
Even if a book is returned lightly used, you get pennies on the dollar for what you paid for it, and the resale price to the next student is just as steep as the original price. It really is a very lucrative racket for somebody.
This is unethical, predatory behavior toward a captive audience that should be monitored by consumer agencies.
36
Amen!! Look forward to Mr. Daunt coming to America and bringing his “neighborhood” bookstores to life here!!
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@Michelle Taylor
Yep.
What I really loved is his focus of stocking the shelves with books people wsnt to read rather than what publishers want to sell.
One reason I love bookstores is that I can browse through all sorts of books on all sorts if subjects. I can take my time noticing books I wouldn't ordinarily even know existed.
But as real estate skyrocketed some smaller stores went under. The remainder was same old same old. If it sells in Walmart it's likely not my raste.
Libraries can't afford to stock books people don't read. Even the bigger ones.
Looking forward to enjoying browsing bookshelves again.
8
To carry a book? To bring it out in moments of opportunity – sitting on a train, waiting in a doctor’s office, or while eating a sandwich in a park? A lot of people don’t do that anymore. My black slab is unfulfilling …unanswered texts from twentysomethings, robocalls from every corner of the earth, and autogenerated emails. Your package is on its way. Your package has arrived. Did you open your package? The fact that you bought it and didn’t return it isn’t enough, now do them a favor and review it. You must be over 50 or 60 if you are carry around a book or buy one for pleasure. This is what B&N is up against, a vanishing culture where book reading is normal and important.
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There is nothing more depressing than walking into a Barnes and Noble store when you don’t have a book in mind and want to just wander around the store in search of literary magic. You have to navigate piles of cheap toys from China littering tables and shelves before you can even find a section that looks interesting (does anyone actually buy that stuff?). I buy travel books (essays) like they’re going out of style, but that section in my local store has been shrinking exponentially for years, so I have to put a request for them into my local library. You have to swish your hips like a belly dancer to get around all the tightly packed bargain tables with junky books on them that no one could ever have possibly wanted to buy. The employees are blasé and uninterested. I do hope Mr Daunt can turn B&N around. There are no Independent bookstores in my area, except for one that sells antique books, so it would be nice to actually look forward to going to Barnes and Noble again.
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@Frau Greta Not my experience with B&N at all. Yes there are toys (anything Hogwarts) but I walk by them - I don't have to look at them if I don't want to buy them. Maybe I want a scrabble or a book by Karl Potter or Donna Leon - and I know just where to find them. If not there are knowledgeable staff I can ask. And when I'm near one I go to my local independent bookstore, Carmichael's. B&N when you know what you want; the independent when you don't and just want to browse. My own rule is that if I find the book there I buy it there. I can find a discount elsewhere but I want these places to stay open.
11
@Frau Greta agree, and the G-D stickers they slap on book covers. If you love books you won't garbage up the cover with random, unremovable stickers.
19
@Frau Greta
It's clear that shops and their employees vary from place to place, but I get you point when you say that you need to navigate between China made products, toys, and whatever. That's steering away from the mere idea, or purpose, of the bookstore. It's a newsstand.
5
Oh. I see. we're finally remembering what book stores are about. wonderful! maybe soon the same logic will be re_introduced to our universities.
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@fir2 high five!! If only....business model won’t let that happen. Students are often depressed and many are entitled. To not alienate the parents, they are pampered and moved along. Amazing exceptions but increasingly not enough. We’ve let this generation down with lower our expectations and filling the pocketbooks. Careful thought and commitment is needed when offering a product including an education. Overwhelmed faculty and staff receive little direction in these difficulty times.
8
This is one of the most uplifting articles I have read in a very long time. Mr. Segal’s portrayal of this leader and standard-bearer in the “conspiracy of sane people” is deft and compelling. Mr. Daunt stands as a hero of culture, with his inspiring vision of serving people’s need for humanity in every detail of his business model and personal interactions.
He stands in such strong contrast to the inhuman and soulless mega-creatures we Americans have created, the crack-selling, culture-destroying Bezoses and Zuckerbergs.
I’m ordinarily a believer in surviving on your wits in the world as it is, but if neither ordinary business undertakings nor a private donation can fill the gaps needed to maintain staff and profitability at Mr. Daunt’s companies on his island and in our country, then I’m all in favor of forceful appropriation to make up the difference, as long as cultural justice is served in the transaction. I think Jeffrey Epstein’s frozen accounts would be a good place to start.
We welcome you to America, Mr. Daunt!
124
Sell what the people want not what the company wants to sell.
It’s so simple. I just love it!
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I wish him the best of luck. Bookstores were once a lovely place to explore, then round after round of innovation killed off all that made them lovely. Barnes and Noble was part of what killed the local bookstore but was in turn hit hard by mass marketers and Amazon. The stores now are a bit underinvested, with few of those comfy nooks to sit in while reading and bathrooms that have seen better days. But as one of the last stores standing, maybe they can make a heroic last stand.
35
Given what B&N did to independent book stores in America in the 1980s and beyond, its fate at Amazon's hands is amusing. B&N doesn't relish its role as the underdog, and who can blame them? But my scores of purchases each year are made at an independent store.
17
@Karen Stone - I buy from independent book stores as well but recently one of the employees told me that they still want to see places like B & N supported.
4
I love, love, love these ideas! I used to frequent Barnes and Noble all the time. The last time i went in, felt like I was in a toy and useless nonsense store, with a few books at the corners.
86
It’ll be interesting to see how Mr. Daunt fares in a nation that prefers to read tweets and Facebook memes over books.
19
Please Mr. Daunt, take a look around at the age demographics of the BN customers who actually bring books to the register. Students on iPads using BN as a library with a coffee shop attached are reading their books on iPads not in bindings.
I frequent BN and my goal is always to leave the store with a book: on architecture, or antiques or cooking or hunting or baseball or fishing. But there are fewer and fewer selections for middle age men and women with actual folding money in their pockets. Antique shows dominate viewership on PBS and the History Channel, but try to find a book on antique shops in a BN. Mr. Daunt, know thy customer for who they are, not who you hope they might be.
35
It would be nice to have a "real" bookstore in town again. I have only shopped in used bookstores and online since Border's closed. Barnes and Noble is essentially an outlet for best sellers and popular classics. I don't buy physical copies of best sellers--that's what the library is for. And your classics are already on your shelves--books that you read over and over. Bookstores need to be a place where you can browse and find the unexpected book that you must have.
25
We need our bookstores. I drive to a Barnes and Noble a good distance away just to be able to browse as well as purchase. Also buy online from them just because some of us oppose a monopoly like Amazon. Sincerely hope he can lure in all to utilize a real “store”.
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Well done, S. Mitchell !
10
Oh please, dear God, let him succeed! I am fed up beyond despair with the Amazon juggernaut. I will not buy from them unless I cannot find an item anywhere else. I am happy to pay more. But shopping at B&N has never been a pleasure. I wish Mr. Daunt the very best and look forward to his success.
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Blacksmith shops were crushed by the automobile. B&N has been crushed by the Internet. Coal has been crushed by electricity. Amoebas were crushed by multi-celled life forms. This has Ben going on for a while.
1
@stevevelo
Coal was not crushed by electricity, it creates electricity. Coal was crushed by environmental concerns.
3
@Conservative Democrat - you’re right of course. What I MEANT to say was “used for electricity, but is being crushed...”
Excellent news for Barnes and Noble! The bookstore pulled me through the loneliness of singlehood as a young adult. Now that I am married with children, I take my kids there during cold weather. Armed with milk and sometimes hot chocolate, my kids sit around a table as their father reads stories to them. Hopefully, when they hit tough times, they too will think of their bookstore as a warm and friendly refuge. Thank you, Mr. Daunt!
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@Zaffar K Haque
But, do you buy books at BN? There’s the rub because it cannot survive if it’s used as public library.
37
This sounds very picturesque... but not profitable.
18
@Conservative Democrat
The last time I used Amazon for a book was about 10-15 years ago. A significant chunk of my graduate school textbooks were bought from the Boston University/Barnes and noble bookstore. Proud card-carrying member, with nearly our entire bookshelf emanating from Barnes and Noble. In addition, nephews and nieces receive Barnes and Noble‘s gift cards. If you read the article carefully, Mr. Daunt is actually encouraging us to jack up his electricity bill, knowing that future payments will make their way into the store. Furthermore, the milk and the hot chocolate that I described above, is purchased from the store.
22
A wonderful article amidst a sea of depressing news--thank you! (In the Barnes & Noble Manhattan caption, however, note that the word "urgency" should be "agency," as the article states.) I wish Mr. Daunt well, and will be watching for changes at B&N. Success of the sort he's had at Waterstones would be wonderful to see.
27
I think if anyone can do it, he can. Daunt books in London is a great shop. I do think he has improved the Waterstones chain. But they rely on being in middle class locations where any half decent chain should thrive. I think he will do better where good bookshops already exist but don’t expect expansion into less well served places.
11
Fascinating story about how to run any business or organization. Best of luck to Daunt competing against Amazon in the USA.
11
Brilliant. Look forward to changes at our local B&N. But it is ironic that the big corporate bookseller that shut down the independent shops with pricing will apparently now take on the attributes of those indie shops in order to survive.
53
I love bookstores and have mourned the aridity of what chain bookstores have become. Welcome, Mr.Daunt! Bring the magic back!
23
Especially to Queens NY which lost 2 B&N and now has NONE. The Bronx B&N was also a great loss.
4
@NYCSandi And Astoria has none (in any language) - sad.
@Y IK
Astoria is a beautiful (and delicious!)neighborhood in Queens!
Be careful, Mr. Daunt. The quaint idea of brand loyalty is rapidly dying in America’s capitalist society, where new technology renders brand ideas obsolete at an increasingly rapid pace.
3
This is uplifting news to hear that Mr. Daunt will take on the task ahead of keeping Barnes and Noble flourishing for people who love to choose books in a retail setting.
Trusting Mr. Daunt’s skills will be successful and that Barnes and Noble won’t become just another bookstore swallowed by Amazon’s insatiable market share appetite.
106
Sitting here at Porter Square Books and having a coffee while I consider my weekly tithe to one of the best independent bookstores in America, this wonderfully and slightly eccentric profile of Mr. Gaunt and the hopeful prospects that his coming to America portends for Barnes & Noble has made a splendid day's beginning. Thank you! A welcome news story that puts Amazon into perspective.
BTW: I am already pondering how I will explain a day trip to Horsham on our next UK visit to my in-laws because it will be entirely out of our way...
40
Bookstores, newspapers, and libraries depend on obsolete technology that has been superseded by internet distribution of information.
2
It’s not just about information. Books take us to another world. Libraries and curated bookstores are just as magical.
6
@Cambridgian - I read my news online but I read books everyday and I'm happy to see that my grandchildren read actual books rather than ereaders.
Nothing will ever replace the feel of a book, the portability, the joy of ownership.
7
@Cambridgian
Reading on-line (books or newspapers) is simply not as interesting, involving, and captivating as reading the physical publication.
4
For me, a vast newstand is #1 in a bookstore. I have discovered many magazines that I otherwise not have known existed. The suburbs here do not have separate newstands, except inside B&N bookstores.
I buy trade paperback books in B&N, but rarely hardcover books because of necessarily limited selections and price.
That's where Amazon comes in. I willingly pay the annual Prime fee, because it comes with not only the advantageous prices on books and just about everything else you can think of, delivered quickly, but streaming shows on TV, and a donation to my favorite charity. I'm as sick of hearing about B&N's membership program as the cashiers must be reciting the script.
I patronize our public library system less and less, because I have little reason to visit the actual buildings where I could browse shelves, discover and peek inside the covers. Why? Few actual books there.
9
Brilliant. I hope Mr. Daunt can pull it off and that, in a land of 330 Million people led by a man who does not read, we have enough people who do. Saving small stores facing competition from giant chains by allowing them to focus on what they do best, what value they add, has worked, albeit it tenuously, with hardware stores in the United States, but not with office supply stores. Retail in general is in a funk as people forego the brick and mortar experience for the one online. Perhaps books are different and there is something about holding a book in your hand, and the fact that it is a unique article as opposed to pens, pads of paper and stationary. Yet, how does it work with shovels and plant food? Could it be you cannot enter such a store without someone offering to assist that does it making the retail experience at once more efficient and more human? I think Daunt is on to something.
8
It is ironic that saving Barnes and Noble is now considered a noble quest. Where was Mr. Daunt when Barnes and Noble was putting all the independent bookstores out of business?
13
I am rooting for Mr. Daunt! I am a lover of books and bookstores and enjoy spending hours perusing titles and recommendations. I love the Barnes and Noble near me and have never cottoned to e books. I prefer making a book choice with the book my hands over looking at excerpts on Amazon. I like many of the ideas suggested in the article and hope they are successful
15
Walking into a Barnes and Noble today feels like stepping into the 1990s. The retailer hasn’t innovated, hasn’t changed, and didn’t care much until it’s imminent demise came near.
Let’s hope it knows how to change.
6
I am a recently retired librarian, and of course I root for the success of all book stores, but I wonder how my own situation reflects the experience of others. The truth is, I have entirely switched to digital books for several reasons: portability, ability to adjust the size of the font, no need for physical storage ( I have over 600 books in the cloud and/or downloaded to my iPad) and price. I do not subscribe to the frequently proclaimed declaration, “ Oh but there is nothing like the smell of a real book!” I will forgo the smell for convenience and I doubt I will ever go back to the old model. The only exception: children’s books.
8
@Allison Former librarian here. I bought a Kindle a few years ago. While I appreciated the convenience, I found that even on the Paperwhite, I did not enjoy or retain what I was reading on screen. I am forced to look at screens all day for my job, so maybe that's why. I think my Kindle ran out of charge about 2 years ago and I still haven't bothered to recharge it, though I have purchased many physical books since then. Long live real books!
173
Annie: "Former librarian here."
Libraries are also in the business of selling books, and there has been a trend toward promoting books and other media in various ways:
1. Library staff recommendations are tagged with a sticker signed by the person recommending the item and displayed on separate shelves.
2. New books and other media are displayed in separate sections on shelves or on tables.
3. New books and bestsellers are listed in a separate part of the library's web site.
4. Some books can be checked out without a library card. My library has a whole section for those books. It is called "No card? No problem." And each book has a sticker on the front saying that. (NB: The books aren't free to take. They are checked out at a service desk by a library assistant who uses the library's own card.)
1
Please succeed. Human culture depends on it. The survival of the coffee bean depends on it.
Kindle lost me when one day they Cut Off half of every highlighted Quote I was trying to print off for a class I was teaching. I then paid $67 for a second hand copy on Amazon. I was buying 5-6 kindle books a month. No more. Done. I shop Amazon but Amazon has destroyed my shared human experience of reading in many ways. Libraries now are full of noise. They allow coffee. But they are not bookstores with well read employees motivated to share.
I miss Borders. I own many books; categories marking high points of Passion and interests such as the Holocaust, art of world museums, fairy tales, literary criticism, conflict and war making, and now of course, politics! Odd book such as cello making opened a new world. Books give Context to life. They rein in dictators. They save Democracies.
Bookstores can be that Global home where now I am that elder feeling the joy seeing the young drink in a shared world. When I was that young person, a bookstore gave me space to be where I reframed Quiet from alone and isolated to internal adventure with human interaction.Reading is human freedom.
The Lewis Meyer bookstore in Tulsa, OK was a major source of education for generations of readers. It was curated daily by Lewis and his beautiful wife Natasha. Each book was beautifully wrapped to take home as the cat looked on, an open box of Chocolates for customers a few inches away.
1
Oh yes, PLEASE do it. We've seen so many wonderful bookshops disappear from cities all over the US, and with it a special and warming environment that encouraged browsing, reading, meeting folks, sharing ideas, etc. Online services have changed the relationship between books (paper, the feeling of touch) and people, and done a lot of damage. From a family of writers, and one that loves reading, I still go into bookshops frequently - to get my science magazines, my TSL, and books.
If, however, I order online (happened a couple of times but used on The Guardian bookshop) it's only because bookshops didn't have the books - just out or not in stock meaning a 3-week wait.
14
In almost every industry, where employees are allowed to be creative and solve problems in their own unique way, business thrives. But we are so enamored with metrics and data to squeeze every last drop of efficiency from work, that bosses rarely let them do that. The only way to beat the tech companies and their algorithms is by unleashing human creativity, as unpredictable and messy as it may be.
I’ll be rooting for Mr. Daunt. An apt name, indeed!
22
Can’t wait to see the changes. A wonderful bookstore is magical.
Welcome Mr. Daunt!
13
I never shop at Amazon; I hate the business model and the fact that Amazon vans are contributing to our city's traffic problem.
I do patronize an independent bookstore near me, but there's a Barnes & Noble not far away, and I'm dying to love it. It's bigger and has much more to offer in everything from books and music to holiday cards, but as this article describes, it's not memorable in any way. I'm really pleased at the prospect of some changes ahead.
8
Even with Amazon around, there is still a way to do this. Maybe we won't have as many brick and morter retailers but there is room for some of them.
Look at Best Buy. Radio Shack, Circuit City and others are gone but there is still Best Buy to serve the needs of those who want see, touch, ask questions, and try-it-out.
Put a coffee counter in the bookstore, maintain a quiet area and there is a market for that.
10
@MIKEinNYC
That's what we had in our bookstore in Santa Barbara, CA and there were always a lot of people in there. Unfortunately, it closed taking with them a nice bit of life of the downtown SB
1
What a phenomenal philosophy for a retail chain. A bit late for B&N perhaps, as Amazon is already rolling out its own b&m stores (which I don't understand except as a monopolistic thing) but even so, as a regular visitor of B&N, it would be nice to see some creativity. I do wonder how the toys and board games - which are key for me as well - will be handled. Also, it feels like print in the US is more dead than in the UK, but perhaps that's just because of the bookstores, after all.
3
This man sounds like the champion that man, many people have been hoping (against hope) for. I like the way this article brings up the tell-tale distinctions that have made a real difference in Britain and hopefully will revive the bookstore experience here in the US.
6
Several years ago, I went to an author reading at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square. I've always attended readings for one of two reasons: I'm already a fan of the author and want to see them in person, or I'm unfamiliar with the author's work and want to hear if it's something I might want to buy. This case was the latter. Apparently the store's policy was that you couldn't stay for a reading without purchasing the book--something I had never experienced at B&N before and so didn't anticipate. An employee, seeing that I didn't have the book, told me I had to leave. I thought it was a joke, so I thanked him and stayed. Next thing I knew, a security guard came over and told me to leave. At which point I left the store altogether. That same day, I wrote to the B&N customer service email to complain about having been kicked out of a store for not buying a book that I could very well have bought if I'd been able to hear the reading from it. The response? Silence. Not even an auto reply to acknowledge receipt.
Of course, I haven't bought a book from B&N since, and I have no plans to. There are a number of great independent bookstores in NYC to choose from, and they care far more for their customers. I don't know if Mr. Daunt can save B&N, but if he's going to try, he might want to start with their approach to people.
61
@g
My understanding is that only happens occasionally when there are big celebrity authors and huge crowds - and limited space.
I have been to numerous readings at B&N in NYC and never asked to purchase a book.
3
@g
What a dreadful experience!
I would like to say that I've been to many events at the B&N Union Square and I'm grateful they have so many.
It was wonderful to hear Joan Didion, Don DeLillo and many others. It's true the staff is not very friendly.
1
I am thrilled that Mr. Daunt has taken over Barnes and Noble and will work to keep Amazon at bay. I do not shop on Amazon, ever, because I know if we do not support our local stores they will disappear. I shop at a variety of bookstores both large and small to buy new and used books online or in person, and I use and support my local libraries too. I want all of these places to be there for all of us now and in the future. I wish Mr. Daunt much success in his new endeavor.
9
Our area has several owner in the store bookshops, and we know that we're lucky to have them nearby. But, I will be sure to visit the nearest Barnes & Noble when word is out that changes are afoot.
What I would like to see happen: small shops opened in places where it would be nearly impossible for an entirely independent bookseller to survive. I think about Mr. Daunt's way of vacationing - and wonder whether opening small shops in out of the way places would be possible.
4
I wish the chain luck. Perhaps people in the UK prize the browsing and quirkiness of Waterstones. Here in the US, speed is prioritized. I rarely buy books other than on my kindle, even borrowing from the public library this way. Most of the people I know who buy books are old (70+) and they buy from independent book sellers. I just use the library and my kindle.
4
Mr. Segal, I would have appreciated this piece if you had made a reference / comparison / acknowledgement of Britain's other great book store, Blackwell's. I love Blackwell's Oxford and London stores, likely because they are more academically oriented but it would have been a more interesting essay had you looked into this aspect --even for a brief comment.
20
@French
Among the thrills of thrilling Oxford, is Blackwell’s bookstore. Very old and inviting.
Very old and inviting.
I still remember the days when there was exactly one Barnes and Noble in the world, on 5th Avenue near 17th Street in Manhattan.
It had a huge selection of books on mathematics and science--I don't mean popular books (though it had those, too), but high-level, technical books. The era of bookstores having such an inventory is long gone, alas.
21