Bookstore-giant Barnes & Noble is making a comeback after years of financial struggles and is set to open more than 60 stores by year’s end.
The iconic chain, owned by Elliott Investment Management, will open 57 stores in the U.S. and an additional 12 stores in the U.K. under its sister-brand Waterstones, RetailTouchpoints.com reported.
India's HAL to build 24 Tejas fighter jets a yearIndia's HAL to build 24 Tejas fighter jets a year
In an exclusive interview with Financial Times, Managing Director James Daunt said the chain is coming off a “significant expansion” in 2024 and plans to “do that or more in 2025.”
Barnes & Noble said the company is “enjoying a period of tremendous growth,” and “is experiencing strong sales in its existing stores.”
The company has opened many new stores after more than 15 years of declining store numbers.
“In 2024, Barnes & Noble opened more new bookstores in a single year than it had in the whole decade from 2009 to 2019,” the company said in a statement.
“The bookseller expects to open over 60 new bookstores in 2025.”
According to Fast Company, Barnes & Noble closed roughly 150 locations over the last decade before finally revamping in 2023 with the addition of 30 new stores.
Barnes & Noble told The Wall Street Journal in late 2022 the company was gearing up for the comeback.
“We’ve now got both the profitability and the confidence to start opening up stores again,” CEO James Daunt told Wall Street.
At that time, two of the slated openings were in the Boston area in location previously occupied by Amazon books, according to Wall Street.
While the bookstore chain opened about 30 locations in 2023, it opened nearly 60 in 2024.
List of locations Barns & Noble that have already opened in 2025:
- Bellevue, Washington
- Town & Country, Texas
- Naples, Florida
- Superior, Colorado
- Brentwood, California
List of locations slated to open:
Barnes & Noble told Fast Company in February 2025 it signed leases in stores in the following states in addition to a number of other leases in the works.
- California
- Florida
- Colorado
- Texas
- Washington
- Pennsylvania
- Ohio
- Virgina
- New York
- Nebraska
- Michigan
- Illinois
- Connecticut
- Arizona
- New Hampshire
- Maryland
- Kansas