B&N hired James Daunt, former CEO of UK's successful Waterstones book stores. He de-corporatised the company, ripping out central control and management-by-metrics and giving managers and talented staff in each store the chance to build a more personal and local experience.

It helps that books have become Veblen lifestyle collectibles for (mostly) younger women, and there are entire subcultures on social media dedicated to promoting the lifestyle.