Will Barnes & Noble's new CEO help avoid it from being added to the list of retailers that have been mowed down by Amazon's seemingly unstoppable supremacy? If you follow the sports analogy that consistency in the leadership structure from ownership (i.e: public versus private, being bought or buying) to the coaching staff (management) to your players (employees) lends itself to success and given that B&N now finds itself on it's 5th CEO in four years it doesn't look good.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/barnes-noble-names-demos-parneros-as-chief-executive-1493265601
Back in the day Amazon used to sell books but it also had a strategic approach to broaden it's portfolio. That was to establish a seemingly non-hostile relationship with brick & mortar retailers like Toys 'R Us (see bankruptcy), Borders Books..etc. The goal? To get in front of the customer interaction. Amazon sold itself as an expert in the digital space and allowed for cost efficiencies (i.e: not having to build out a web-site or deal with the head-ache of how to fulfill product or the logistics on from where) from the brick and mortar company to focus on what it did best (selling in a physical store) while letting Amazon manage it's digital footprint which was a low volume mix relative to the traffic that was walking into the brick & mortar stores on a daily basis. But, as we all know now, by insinuating itself in the path to purchase and putting its brand in-between the customer and the brick & mortar brand Amazon was able to create a wedge that has grown
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