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  • November 2021 (Revised March 2022)
  • Case
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Kwame Spearman at Tattered Cover: Reinventing Brick-and-Mortar Retail

By: Ryan Raffaelli and Kerry Herman
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:25
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Abstract

The case spotlights Kwame Spearman’s career-shifting decision to leave a NYC-based consulting job to return to his hometown of Denver, Colorado, and take over an iconic independent bookstore, The Tattered Cover. The case lays out ways Spearman envisions a new approach to retail. It highlights challenges that can face individuals when they step into a substantive leadership role for the first time. It also examines how local businesses respond to significant threats from online and big box retailers.

Keywords

Retail; Leadership; Leading Change; Competitive Strategy; Personal Development and Career; Publishing Industry; Retail Industry; United States

Citation

Raffaelli, Ryan, and Kerry Herman. "Kwame Spearman at Tattered Cover: Reinventing Brick-and-Mortar Retail." Harvard Business School Case 422-014, November 2021. (Revised March 2022.)
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About The Author

Ryan L. Raffaelli

Organizational Behavior
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Related Work

    • November 2021 (Revised March 2022)
    • Faculty Research

    Kwame Spearman at Tattered Cover: Reinventing Brick-and-Mortar Retail

    By: Ryan Raffaelli and Kerry Herman
    • February 2025
    • Faculty Research

    Kwame Spearman at Tattered Cover

    By: Ryan Raffaelli
Related Work
  • Kwame Spearman at Tattered Cover: Reinventing Brick-and-Mortar Retail By: Ryan Raffaelli and Kerry Herman
  • Kwame Spearman at Tattered Cover By: Ryan Raffaelli
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