When James Daunt was named CEO of Barnes & Noble in 2019, he quickly began making the big-box store more like local indie bookstores.
Barnes & Noble had just been taken private by Elliott Advisors for $683 million after sales declines driven by formulaic stores that had lost their charm. The hedge fund installed Daunt, a Brit, as CEO, based on his track record reviving Elliott-owned Waterstones, a large British bookseller, and his experience as owner of the beloved 10-store Daunt Books in London.
