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Originally Posted by RHWright
My first impressions are that a few things pop out: emphasis on experience/service, knowledgeable staff, and making a physical store a place you want to go (and spend $$). But in a way that makes sense for what readers want.
I think B&N in the US has drifted afield from this understanding. That, along with strong price competition from online retailers, is weakening their position. They seem too focused on marketing/selling to everyone, instead of building an identity and core around raving fans of reading culture. Then expanding it to be a lifestyle brand that many people want.
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I think it will be hard for B&N to wean itself from the front table payola. They're too addicted to coop "marketing" money to balance their books to adopt a reader-centric approach instead of a publisher centric approach. It is all about pushing out the books they have, by the boatload, instead of finding out what each reader wants. And, of course, those happen to be the same books you can find everywhere from Walmart and costco to Target.