Barnes & Noble held its annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday morning, to a warm crowd of 50 or so rapt listeners, with a few hecklers reliably in the mix. (One gentleman guffawed both times CFO Allen Lindstrom said the word “innovation.”) Chairman Len Riggio kicked off the day by reiterating their celebration from early September of being named America’s “most reputable retailer” in the Reputation Institute’s 2018 US Retail RepTrak Rankings, moving ahead of Amazon, which Riggio called a “monumental achievement.” Riggio’s prepared remarks echoed themes from their early September earnings conference call, and he underscored that for the first […]
Bookstores
People, Etc.
At Harper Collins, Catherine Barbosa Ross has been promoted to director, foreign rights, and Maureen Cole has been promoted to director of publicity for the Morrow Group. Hachette UK’s Lucy Hale has been promoted to the newly created role of deputy ceo for Hodder & Stoughton, Headline, John Murray Press, and Quercus. Group ceo Jamie Hodder-Williams said, “She has a first-class commercial brain and a forensic knowledge of our markets at home and abroad. Working closely with our authors, she has demonstrated time and again that her peerless vision, her energy, dedication and enthusiasm in delivering campaigns ensures that every book reaches […]
Amazon’s New Soho Store Sells…Stuff
The new Amazon Store space at 72 Spring Street in NYC’s Soho — once thought to be a bookstore — introduces a new concept in the company’s physical store portfolio. Opening Thursday, the awkwardly named “Amazon 4-star” is a general merchandise store that sells a bunch of stuff with high Amazon customer reviews, along with the usual selection of Amazon devices. Like their Books stores, Prime members get better prices in store — though now, “digital price tags alongside every product show the Prime price and list price.” Also like the Books stores, this is part of the broader retail […]
Briefs: An Eric Carle Imprint, NYRB’s Statement, and More
Imprints Penguin Children’s is launching a World of Eric Carle imprint in winter 2019, “dedicated to the works of the acclaimed and beloved author and illustrator.” Francesco Sedita leads the line, which “will focus on publishing books that are based in the core values of discovery, creativity, learning and growing.” Initiatives Penguin Random House resumes its annual “2-Day transit program” for independent booksellers for the seventh year, starting October 1 and running through March 1, 2019. Bookselling Shaw’s Book Shop in Westwood, NJ is closing at the end of September after 40 years of operation. Owner Tom Downs said Amazon […]
People, Etc.
Kim Anderson will re-join Chronicle Books as vice president of sales & marketing, overseeing the marketing, domestic sales, international sales, and subsidiary rights teams. Previously, she worked in the Chronicle Books sales department from 2003 to 2013, and has spent the past five years as a sales and marketing consultant for such companies as Insight Editions, Mrs. Grossman’s, becker&mayer, and Galison. Steve Marshall joined Ingram Content Group as vp, IT services. Prior to Ingram, Steve was the vice president of infrastructure at C&S Wholesale Grocers in Keene, NH. Claire McGinnis has been promoted to associate director of publicity at Riverhead. At Thames & […]
Barnes & Noble Opens New Store In Maryland
After a long gap, Barnes & Noble opens another concept store — their sixth — in the mall in Columbia, MD today. The 17,000-square-foot store features a new design for their cafe, now at the front of the store without any walls or barriers, and the cookbook section is right next to it. As the local Patch report notes, “There are three community tables throughout the bookstore, a concept which is part of the new prototype.” (From the pictures, two of those are in that large open cafe.) Sales staff will have tablets to help customers find merchandise, and there are […]