Waterstones MD attacks ‘crushing consistency’ of chain bookstores

In the UK, Waterstones managing director James Daunt has spoken out against the ‘crushing consistency’ of chain bookstores such as former Waterstones owner WH Smith, reports the Guardian.

At a media conference in London, Daunt said he encouraged his store managers to ‘curate’ their own stock. ‘You must not impose uniformity or you kill that spirit,’ said Daunt. ‘As indeed with—and because I can be rude about them—WH Smith and that godawful uniformity, that crushing consistency they have; we need to do the exact opposite.’

Daunt also recently defended his decision to open several unbranded Waterstones stores in small towns after some critics accusing the chain of passing off the stores as independents. He told BBC Radio: ‘We are coming into quite sensitive high streets with predominantly independent retailers on them and we wish to behave as they do.’

Category: International news