Saving Barnes and Noble | The Emperor of Little Italy | 1

Business Movers

Wondery

History, Business, Entrepreneurship

4.8 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 9 January 2025

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the 1970s, Leonard Riggio buys the famous New York bookstore Barnes & Noble and turns it into a national chain. But as the decades pass and retail shifts around him, Leonard struggles to adapt to the digital age as a new rival emerges for Barnes & Noble’s crown.

Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletter

Listen to Business Movers on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting https://wondery.com/links/business-movers/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Want to get more from business movers?
0:02.2	Subscribe to Wondry Plus for early access to new episodes,
0:05.7	ad-free listening, and exclusive content you can't find anywhere else.
0:09.6	Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
0:13.0	OneRoury.
0:15.0	Music It's April 1997 in a midtown diner in New York City.
0:33.6	56-year-old Leonard Riggio sits in a booth, his hands clasped tightly around a cup of coffee.
0:39.2	Leonard is the executive chairman of Barnes & Noble.
0:42.4	He's owned and run the company since the early 70s and transformed it from a New York
0:46.7	institution into a multi-billion dollar national chain.
0:50.8	But today, Leonard's not happy.
0:52.8	He stares into space, silently fuming. He looks up to see his
0:57.2	younger brother weaving a path through the tables toward him. Forty-three-year-old Stephen Riggio is also
1:02.8	a senior executive at Barnes & Noble, but his demeanor is more controlled and thoughtful than his
1:07.7	sometimes volatile brother. He slides into the booth across from Leonard.
1:11.9	Well, you look like health.
1:13.4	Good to see you, too.
1:14.6	I need you to call the lawyers.
1:16.2	Why?
1:17.0	Because I need to sue someone, that's why.
1:19.9	Stephen shakes his head and raises his hand to a passing waitress.
1:23.5	Can I get some coffee, black, please?
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Wondery, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Wondery and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.