We may never see actual performance results for Barnes & Noble, but the chain continues to flex a remarkable ability to generate glowing media out of the mundane. The latest is an admiring 1,700-word NYT feature on how the company has chosen to be aggressively inconsistent in the design of both their stores and their logo and branding. For one thing, it saves money: CEO James Daunt says, “We don’t have any architect doing our design at any stage. There’s no interior designer.” A couple of notable details emerge. There is this: “The old Barnes & Noble had what Mr. […]
