Barnes & Noble is experiencing a remarkable turnaround, with CEO James Daunt leading the charge in transforming the nation’s largest remaining bookstore chain into a formidable competitor against Amazon. After facing significant challenges that led to hundreds of store closures, including a Seattle location that had operated for 22 years, the company has found renewed success by returning to its core mission: selling books.
The retailer opened nearly 60 new locations in 2024 and plans to launch an additional 60 stores in 2025. This expansion marks a significant shift from the company’s previous trajectory, though current numbers remain below its peak of 726 stores in 2008, with approximately 600 locations now operating nationwide.
In a recent PBS News Hour segment, Daunt explained how the company has adapted its strategy to compete with Amazon, which currently controls more than half of the book market. Rather than viewing Amazon’s dominance as purely threatening, Daunt sees it as an opportunity for Barnes & Noble to differentiate itself. He noted that Amazon’s presence has actually helped streamline Barnes & Noble’s inventory by eliminating the need to stock what he terms “boring books” – specialized texts that customers can easily purchase online.
The revival strategy has focused on creating an enhanced in-store experience, moving away from diversifying into other retail categories and instead emphasizing the core business of bookselling. This approach was particularly successful during the pandemic, when reading experienced a surge in popularity.
Daunt, who brings extensive experience from running his own British bookstore chain and successfully reviving another, has been
particularly critical of Amazon’s approach to bookselling. In previous statements to The Guardian, he argued that Amazon views books merely as inventory items rather than having a genuine interest in literature itself.
The Barnes & Noble CEO emphasizes that while customers might be purchasing the same titles available on Amazon, the bookstore experience transforms the purchase into something more meaningful. He maintains that books bought in their stores provide a superior experience because customers can interact with other readers and discover new titles through organic browsing. According to Daunt, “You will have an experience, and when you walk out of the store with [a book] in your bag it will lift you.”
This transformation is particularly noteworthy given the history between the two retailers. Amazon, which began as an online bookstore before expanding into a global e-commerce giant, had previously attempted to establish a physical presence in the book market through Amazon Books stores. However, this venture proved unsuccessful, with Amazon closing all these locations in 2022 after seven years of operation.
The successful revival of Barnes & Noble represents a significant shift in the retail book market, suggesting that physical bookstores can thrive alongside digital competitors when they focus on creating unique, customer-centric experiences. The company’s expansion plans and renewed focus on traditional bookselling indicate a promising future for brick-and-mortar bookstores, even in an increasingly digital marketplace.
Barnes & Noble’s resurgence demonstrates that despite the convenience of online shopping, there remains substantial value in the traditional bookstore experience, where customers can discover new titles, engage with fellow readers, and enjoy the tangible pleasure of browsing through physical books.