Barnes & Noble is expanding with a slew of new bookstores across America. So far this year, 28 stores have opened, or are scheduled to open soon, in a handful of states and Washington, D.C. It will put the bookseller’s footprint at more than 720 locations nationwide, according to USA Today.
In September, the chain plans to open four new locations in Orlando, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; Elk Grove, California and Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, according to press releases from the company. The Jenkintown store, which opens this Wednesday, marks the return of Barnes & Noble to the town after its location closed 14 years ago. Elk Grove, just south of Sacramento, has not had a major bookstore since its Borders Books closed in 2011.
It is one of eight locations opening in California this year, “reflecting a strong resurgence of the brand’s brick-and-mortar footprint,” Barnes & Noble said. The bookseller’s revival of physical stores comes after many closed in the face of fierce competition from Amazon, which began as an online bookseller. Barnes & Noble also appeals to consumers for items beyond books, like toys and games.
The company told USA Today about its plans for expansion for 2026 at the end of last year. "Barnes & Noble is enjoying a period of tremendous growth as the strategy to hand control of each bookstore to its local booksellers has proven so successful," the bookstore chain said in a statement. "In 2024, Barnes & Noble opened more new bookstores in a single year than it had in the whole decade from 2009 to 2019." However, a CBS News poll in June found that 36 percent of Americans are reading fewer books than they did a decade ago, while only 23 percent said they are reading more.
Still, Barnes & Noble doesn’t seem discouraged. CEO James Daunt told Axios in July: “The revival is there.” It was not immediately clear what other locations are opening this year. The Independent has contacted Barnes & Noble for more information.
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