Showing posts with label James daunt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James daunt. Show all posts

Thursday 31 October 2019

Independent shops Unchained! Daunt books


– "we need a huge cultural shift"– James Daunt
‘I want to become an anti-chain chain. To make each store like an independent bookshop. ‘

Former banker James Daunt has made a great success of his independent bookshops Daunt Books. London’s Marylebone 1990. He took over Waterstones in 2011 and has turned it around and sales Waterston’s Piccadilly doubled from 8m to 16m ! Now he’s taking on the American bookshops Barnes and Noble. 

His plan is to curate selection of books right for each town or city: and to stop the centralisation by head office.

 “I will give the best bookseller in each store change – the structure, equipment, money and tools to live up to these principles in a way right for their location. “
"Each shop picks its own book of the month. To donate traditional publishing model – all has been tightly controlled fro head office. " 

"A great bookshop is where section after section is authoritative, and all the right books are next to each other, sparks interest that you did not know you had. I almost never walk out of a bookshop with the book I thought I was going to buy. 
That makes me feel lucky."

If you look like a bookseller they’ll know you are one!
The most successful High street I’ve visited in Scotland, is Castle Douglas, which has fought to keep its high street chain free with small independent shops – cafes, art, bookshops, bakery, and much more.