This is sad. Breaks my heart. I was a SM for a decade back in the day of stores opening faster than we could fill the shelves. I don’t think this is one person’s fault or the fault of one decision. B&N has done their best to survive, and it has survived better than the rest.
I watched this happen to the indie stores, one by one while we grew. The day the general public decided it was more convenient and equally as satisfying to buy/order a book from the same place they order dog food was the day the change began. Nothing better than the smell of a bookstore.