Barnes & Noble revamps dark stores during pandemic

Barnes & Noble used downtime during the pandemic to update some of its store interiors.

The struggling bookseller refreshed more than 350 of its 614 U.S. stores while they were temporarily shuttered due to COVID-19, reported the New York Times. Small teams moved furniture around, painted walls and brought in new books, according to the report.

I knew I wanted to rip these stores apart and put them back together in a different way,” James Daunt, who took the reins as Barnes & Noble CEO last summer, told the New York Times. “And then suddenly: ‘Oh my goodness, they’re all shut. Let’s get to work.’

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