The Barnes & Noble comeback, from the CEO who did it (James Daunt)
About James
- CEO of Barnes & Noble, Waterstones & Paper Source; leads 1,100+ stores
- Turned around Waterstones after becoming Managing Director in 2011
- Founded Daunt Books in London in 1990; still owns the indie chain
- Led Barnes & Noble's comeback by applying his bookstore turnaround playbook
- Appointed CBE in 2022 for services to the publishing industry
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CEO James Daunt has now rescued two iconic bookstore chains: Barnes & Noble and Waterstones. He joins Masters of Scale host Jeff Berman to discuss the turnarounds, plus how bookstores are preparing for an onslaught of AI-written content, his BookTok strategy, and why local control is the key to making great bookstores.
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Barnes & Noble’s James Daunt