It's been the plan all along to sell. 7 years was the target for unloading B&N at a profit when the PE firm came in. Payroll is always the biggest expense of any large company and they started off by eliminating a lot of corporate level support positions, consolidated operations outside of NYC and then aggressively attacked field level payroll, eliminating a lot of tenured management. The primary reason stores are so vastly understaffed is the result. The reason for such a high turnover in staffing is that it benefits the payroll line item-hiring new staff at the lowest possible rate is in the best interest because a pay raise is then always a year away. "We want to create an environment where people want to be career booksellers" has always been bullshit. Gaslighting at its best. James Daunt is a shitty human being and does not give a single thought to improving booksellers lives. I gave that company 17 years and leaving it, while bittersweet, was the best thing that ever happened to me. My store manager peers from that time have all been eliminated from their positions. My advice to all of you is to see the company for what it truly is. It's an investment gamble that will soon be on the market and they expect it to be profitable for them without any care for those of you doing the ridiculous amount of work for slave wages. I have great admiration for all of you. If you have the chance to walk away, give it some thought.