[tomsem]

Here's another column about B&N's turnaround:

https://tedgioia.substack.com/p/what...rom-barnes-and

But I finally have good news to share. I have a positive case study—and we can learn from it.

Here’s the surprise: This company has been a failure at digital media, and has succeeded by embracing the most antiquated technology of them all: the printed book.

That’s quite an achievement. So let’s look at the turnaround at Barnes & Noble.

The turnaround has delivered remarkable results. Barnes & Noble opened 16 new bookstores in 2022, and now will double that pace of openings in 2023. In a year of collapsing digital platforms, this 136-year-old purveyor of print media is enjoying boom times.

But I almost hate to say it, because the lesson is so simple.

If you want to sell music, you must love those songs. If you want to succeed in journalism, you must love those newspapers. If you want to succeed in movies, you must love the cinema.

What does this mean for Nook platform? I think it's good news, they can afford to be more patient with it, as long as it isn't burdened with glowing expectations. The hardware lineup is embarrassingly thin, but maybe we'll see a 7" Nook this year at least. Ebooks and Audiobooks are still promoted prominently on the web site.