Waterstone's lets its stores choose the books again

"The problem was simple – Waterstone's was firing at the wrong target. The chain was attempting to compete with the likes of Amazon, Tesco and WH Smith by offering similar titles and promotions. In doing this, it became centrally-run and process-driven, treating books like commodities."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/7738346/Waterstones-lets-its-stores-choose-the-books-again.html


"Now, the system has changed. Power has – to a significant degree – been devolved back to the stores. Of all the books that Waterstone's sells, around a third are "front", or promoted, titles. At "new" Waterstone's one third of these titles are now chosen by store staff. Of the remaining books, around 60pc is determined centrally, with the balance being picked by staff. "

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