Some large investors can have significant impact on how businesses are run. After all, large corporations are supposed to be operated in the best interest of the stockholders. This can often be quite a headache for CEOs when "outsiders" decide they have a better business strategy and start to push. Such strategies can also be very short sighted, focusing on short term stock price gains at the expense of long range health.
Apparently, Borders and Barnes and Noble may be facing such pressure to merge. "Pershing Square Capital Management, known for its activism, holds a 11.5 percent stake in Borders and a 9.2 percent stake in Barnes & Noble and could argue that a combination of the two retailers would strengthen the businesses."
Some questions come immediately to mind as a consumer:
1) Would this mean sales locations of the Sony Reader would be expanded or contracted?
2) What will the online book and e-book strategy become?
3) Will selection and prices suffer if the two become one?
From Seeking Alpha and
The Book Standard.