Justin Pot
Great article about how Barnes & Noble's turned things around by empowering employees in the store to make decisions, instead of centralizing everything. https://tedgioia.substack.com/p/what-can-we-learn-from-barnes-and
What Can We Learn from Barnes & Noble's Surprising Turnaround?

Digital platforms are struggling, meanwhile a 136-year-old book retailer is growing again. But why?

The Honest Broker
Dec 29, 2022 at 5:38pmMastonaut
Show threadTonya CanningDec 29, 2022

@jhpot
Very interesting! I think big business also underestimates the value of catering to the specific needs of local markets rather than enforcing bland sameness on every store.

One example is at a local Decathlon store in the days before a forecasted hurricane, where the staff had made very helpful displays at the entrances of items like lanterns, emergency blankets and camp stoves. Most of the other chain stores can only assemble displays that are pre-approved by the head office.

Show threadBodhipaksaDec 29, 2022
@jhpot That's interesting. They've been unable up until now to order in books by local authors, and rarely if ever respond to requests for book launches, so hopefully those things will change.
Show threadnotesJan 3, 2023
@jhpot It reminds me of the old school Kinkos back in the 90s. We had a lot of authority there.
Show threadJustin PotJan 3, 2023
@notes huh that's interesting, not the kind of place I'd expect that from now...
Show threadnotesJan 3, 2023
@jhpot no, I don't think Kinkos exists anymore. I think they all turned into FedEx stores. Not at all like the original. Venture capitalists and monopolies stomp that kind of thing out. I bet we see more of it though as a safeguard/block of employee coops.