Walmart to Adopt a proposed Barnes and Noble marketing approach.

Wal-Mart has announced plans to open more small stores with logistical support provided by nearby Supercenter stores. This plan, announced at Walmart annual meeting on Tuesday, will "tether" smaller stores to the larger ones in a push to fill in the retail "ecosystem." The Idea Mechanic report on Barnes and Noble has proposed a similar framework of smaller Barnes and Noble stores to take advantage of the logistical flexibility that smaller (down to Starbucks size) stores would offer the retailer. A key feature of this approach for B&N would be the creation of new spaces for community social activities, a traditional attraction of small independent bookstores.