How Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt tapped his indie bookstore cred to revive the big-box chain | Fortune0

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• August 3, 2026

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,