<aside> 💡 Key Question: "Go to a book superstore, esp. Barnes & Noble. How are the books laid out? Which books/publishers get priority? Where is literature in relation to the traffic patterns in the store? Make a map or search online for data. Speak to a sales manager or find online information."

</aside>

This past semester in English 491DH I learned about the growing correlation between data science and humanities, especially in terms of English & literature. For my final project, I am hoping to research the key question prompted above and discover the strategy behind book/publisher placement in key traffic patterns at my local Barnes and Noble.

Introduction

To start off, let's establish a baseline understanding of the foot traffic directions & book/publisher placement throughout the general center of the store.

1.1 | Store Layout Map

1.2 | Color Key for Above Map

The above map is a rough sketch outlining the placement of book stands, assigned sections, and foot traffic from the entrance to the back of the store. The goal of the map is to obtain a high-level overview of the placement of book stands promoting certain themes/offers, and the overall layout of book section categories.

please refer to the map key to better understand the color-coding.

In the store layout map above I have labeled certain book stands as Predicted High Engagement or Predicted Low Engagement; I determined these ratings based on two key factors: (1) location/ positioning and (2) customer appeal (such as monetary discounts or relevance). I have also divided the bulk of the store's center into three major zones in order to help us stay organized. Now, let's dive into which books and publishers Barnes & Noble chose to put at each of these prominent locations and why.

Zone 1: Entrance

1.3 | Immediate Entrance View of Barnes & Noble at Hacienda Crossings 4972, Dublin Blvd, Dublin, CA 94568

As soon as you walk in to my local Barnes and Noble store, there are 5 key book stands that are in your immediate view. Of these 5 stands, only 2 (the ones in red in the above photo) are positioned closest to the entrance and placed strategically to be one of the first books you lay your eyes on and the last book you see just as you might be planning to step out of the store. When I looked at the two stands a bit closer, I realized there were several characteristics of the stand and the book chosen to be on that stand which explained why Barnes and Noble chose this to be the first thing you see.

1.4 | Pick of the Month: Memorial: a Novel by Bryan Washington & Book of the Month

1.5 | A Promised Land by former President Barack Obama & Member Discount

Let's look into the first book, Memorial: a Novel by Bryan Washington. Right off the bat, there are quite a few indicators that can tell us why this book in particular has been selected for such a prime location.

1. "Book of the Month" this novel has been deemed the book of the month for this Barnes and Noble location. If we assume that this book stand is the repeated location for the "Book of the Month" each month, then frequent customers (who are most likely Barnes & Noble's members) can expect to see a brand new book up there every month they visit and can utilize a member discount on this book.
   1. This tells us that Barnes & Noble knows that their frequent or returning customer base values picks of the month and is predicting that they will pick up Memorial as it is one the very first books you see as you enter.
2. Good Morning America Book Club is a reputable book club that makes reading recommendations to thousands of individuals, and holding the seal of approval from this well-known influencer group increases the value of Memorial.
   1. The seal of Good Morning America must bring in relevance and trust, especially for frequent readers who are familiar with the GMA Book Club list. GMA also does a large amount of marketing for books they select, which means customers are more likely to have already heard of the book, cutting in-store marketing efforts for Barnes & Noble, making this a great book to place at a high priority location.
3. Author of Lot, was listed as one of Barack Obama’s “Favorite Books of the Year” and named one of the best 10 books in 2019 in the New York Times.
   1. The author of this book has previously published immensely successful books, and in the near past (merely one year ago). There is little to no risk with this book.

Now let's look into the second book placed in a priority location in Zone #1, *A Promised Land* by former President Barack Obama. I was surprised to see this book at such a high-priority location, especially since it was not being released for at least another week and was only available for preorder. Here are some brainstormed reasons as to why has this book or publisher may have been given priority:

1. Member Discount of 10% off is available for all Barnes & Noble members who preorder the book or purchase it once it is released.
2. Relevance redefined, especially during a heated presidential election, the memoir from a former President holds an extreme amount of relevance and demand which tells us that customers are looking to learn more about this book. It is also worth noting that my local Barnes & Noble store had large posters up on the front windows of the store promoting the release of this upcoming novel.
3. President Obama has previously published well more than 10 books and is an experienced author.

Essentially, we can agree that there are a few common factors or checkboxes which a book has to meet in order to be placed at a high-priority location. These factors may include: previously demonstrated literary success by the author, relevance or sales momentum, and a tie back into Barnes and Noble's customer experience such as a member discount or a token pick of the month title.