Amazon And Covid Could Not Kill This Retailer, And They Tried, James Daunt - CEO Barnes & Noble

Amazon revolutionized the retail market with its online shopping and shipping, a revolution that caused companies to change drastically or go bankrupt. Even Walmart had to reboot itself to battle the e-commerce giant. Another industry that Amazon took a huge swing at, tied to its original founding purpose, was books, and then with its Kindle and e-books in 2007. Already on its heels, COVID-19 took a swing at retail when people weren’t allowed to visit stores to support the already struggling book industry. Today’s guest has taken those swings to the chin and is now turning things around and succeeding. Barnes & Noble CEO, James Daunt, joins this episode of The Reboot Chronicles to discuss how he is rebooting the largest retail bookseller in the United States. Barnes and Noble is the perfect reboot story, which has seen the good, the bad, and the atrocious times as it lived through in its storied journey. With declining store numbers for almost 15 years and then lock-downs, the company is back on a growth track, with 600 stores, and 18,000 employees that deliver around $3.5 billion in annual revenue. Follow along as we unpack this active, back to basics, turnaround, and what Barnes & Noble has in store for us next.