The Unlikely Rise of Barnes & Noble

Ted Gioia: What Can We Learn From Barnes & Noble's Surprising Turnaround?

“Staff are now in control of their own shops,” he explained. “Hopefully they’re enjoying their work more. They’re creating something very different in each store.”

And:

Then it started to happen—book sales at Barnes & Noble began rising again. Sales in 2021 quickly got back to pre-pandemic levels, and then kept growing. Readers regained trust in the company. The workers at the stores were more motivated and started genuinely acting like booksellers.

You love to see it.