Once the enemy of independent book stores, Barnes & Noble is now thought to be their salvation. “Its unique role in the book ecosystem, where it helps readers discover new titles and publishers stay invested in physical stores, makes it an essential anchor in a world upended by online sales and a much larger player: Amazon,” per The New York Times. Even after the bleak days of the pandemic, sales at the retailer were up 3% last year over their pre-pandemic performance in 2019. “The growth came the old-fashioned way, said James Daunt, the company’s chief executive: by selling books, which were up 14%.”