Apple’s clean, simple, cutting-edge approach to retail has influenced the storefront designs of several other brands, including Microsoft. But do digital books and sleek environments signal the imminent future of libraries?

Officials in Bexar County, which surrounds San Antonio, Texas, seem to think so. The San Antonio Express-News reports the county on Tuesday night approved the creation of "the nation's first bookless public library system," with a prototype location expected to open in fall.

"If you want to get an idea what it looks like, go into an Apple store," said Nelson Wolff, a Bexar County judge who propelled the idea forward after reading Walter Isaacson's recent biography of the late Apple visionary Steve Jobs.Continue reading...

Best Buy founder Richard Schulze wants to take his company private in the hopes of preserving its value after a tumultuous year, including an internal investigation that revealed his knowledge of an alleged affair involving former CEO Brian Dunn, which he failed to tell other members of the board.

Schulze, the electronic retailer's largest shareholder, with slightly more than a 20% stake valued at $1.4 billion, resigned as chairman and a director of the Richfield, Minn., retailer earlier in June to consider the options and is working with Credit Suisse Group.

“A move to take the company private wouldn't be easy. Best Buy's 'enterprise value,' or stock market value plus its debt, minus any cash on hand, is about $8 billion," the Wall Street Journal reports. "A buyout offer would likely have to approach $11 billion to entice other shareholders to sell, analysts say.”Continue reading...

Esprit has been trying to engineer a turnaround, last year announcing a $2.3 billion, four-year plan and hiring supermodel Gisele Bundchen as the Hong Kong-based brand's global face. Despite a minor uptick in sales as a result, the turnaround hasn't been dramatic — and company announced this week that CEO Ronald Van der Vis was quitting, making him the second top exec (following the chairman) to walk out in the last six months.

Bloomberg reports that Esprit Holding’s stock took a nosedive after the news. "The unexpected resignation is a serious blow to the company's transformation plan and will cast doubt on the execution," said Andrew Sullivan, principal trader at Piper Jaffray Asia Securities, to Bloomberg. "Investors may fear that his stepping down will bring the transformation efforts back to square one."

Van der Vis said on a conference call that he’ll remain in his post for 12 more months, and that he's stepping down for family reasons and not because of any dispute with the board. No strategic changes are planned to Esprit’s transformation program, he added, although some “adjustments” are possible during the transition.Continue reading...

In yet another step underscoring its seriousness about finally becoming a major factor in the U.S. market, Volkswagen has shifted one of its top American executives to the new position of VP of customer experience.

Mark Barnes, who was COO and head of sales for Volkswagen of America, moves to his new post with the corporate charge to “better manage the entire customer experience within VW” for U.S. customers, said VW US CEO Jonathan Browning.Continue reading...