Jeffrey Brown:
Daunt brought an unusual pedigree. He’d launched Daunt Books in 1990 as an independent bookseller in a gorgeous London setting that became a destination for book lovers.
In 2011 he was hired to rescue Waterstones, Britain’s largest chain bookstore, then near bankruptcy and, in 2019, after hedge fund company Elliott Advisors bought Barnes & Noble, to attempt the same here.
His success has gained attention, as, in recent years, Barnes & Noble began to open stores all over the country, even reopening a flagship Washington, D.C., store that had closed in 2012.
The new philosophy, have stores act and feel like an independent local shop.
Victoria Harty, assistant manager at this Upper West Side Manhattan store, has worked for Barnes & Noble for more than 10 years.
Victoria Harty, Assistant Store Manager, Barnes & Noble: We used to be told what table to do, how to curate it, where that table should go, what angle that table should be on, and what discount that table potentially is going to have.
