"Waterstone's approach to buying must change" - Daunt

18.07.11 | Lisa Campbell - The Bookseller

Waterstone's managing director James Daunt has told staff "its approach to buying must change" and said he plans a "complete overhaul" of the chain's infrastructure.
In an email to staff, Daunt said it was essential an “entrepreneurial bookselling spirit” returned to Waterstone’s, which will see shops and books being presented with “real flair.”
Since Daunt was appointed m.d. two weeks ago following the chain's takeover by Alexander Mamut's A&NN Group, commercial director Michael Neil, operations director Roger Childs and head of books Toby Bourne have left the company. He said: “The approach to buying must change and I have taken direct responsibility for the commercial team. I will be working closely with them, and with the shops, to ensure that as we enter the crucial final quarter of the year, we do so with our shops stocked to the best possible effect."
A Waterstone's spokesperson refused to expand on the content of the email. Waterstone's former m.d. Dominic Myers handed greater buying power over to stores but Daunt did not explicitly say whether he planned a move away from this. His email said: "It is essential that our shops continue to deserve the respect and loyalty of their customers. We will achieve this by presenting our shops, and the books within them, with real flair. This will require much greater local initiative by those of you in the shops, and an emphasis on assistance and best practice rather than prescription by those of us working to support the shops."
Full piece at The Bookseller