Barnes & Noble Plans 60 New Stores in 2026 as Bookstore Expansion Continues
For years, bookstore closures felt inevitable. Big spaces went dark, shelves disappeared, and readers were told to get used to shopping online.
Now, that story is shifting.
Barnes & Noble has announced plans to open 60 new stores in 2026, continuing a surprising turnaround that has already reshaped the company’s footprint across the U.S.
The expansion follows dozens of openings in 2025 and marks one of the most aggressive growth phases the chain has seen in decades.
Why Barnes & Noble Is Expanding Again
The renewed push isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about performance.
According to the company, recent stores have posted strong sales, driven by a Barnes & Noble retail strategy that gives local booksellers more control over their inventory, layout, and events.
Instead of uniform stores that look identical from state to state, newer locations are designed to reflect the communities they serve.
That approach has fueled the current Barnes & Noble store expansion, reversing nearly 20 years of shrinking store counts, and signaling confidence in brick-and-mortar retail again.
Why Physical Bookstores Are Making a Comeback
The broader bookstore industry growth in 2026 reflects a shift in how people want to shop.
Readers aren’t just buying books. They’re looking for places to linger, attend author talks, pick up gifts, and browse without an algorithm dictating every choice.
Physical bookstores offer something online retail can’t replicate: unplanned discovery.
Barnes & Noble’s current approach leans into that reality, treating stores less like warehouses and more like neighborhood spaces.
What Recent Store Openings Tell Us
Barnes & Noble opened more than 60 stores in 2025 alone, more than it opened in the entire decade between 2009 and 2019.
And those stores weren’t limited to one region or demographic.
Openings ranged from suburban shopping centers to walkable downtown areas, with locations spread across the South, Midwest, Northeast, and West Coast.
The takeaway is clear: the company isn’t betting on a single type of customer or city. It’s betting on readers showing up when stores feel local, accessible, and thoughtfully curated.
Where New Barnes & Noble Stores Are Planned for 2026
Barnes & Noble’s 2026 expansion is designed to be nationwide rather than concentrated in a single region.
The company has confirmed that upcoming openings will span the Midwest, South, West Coast, and parts of the Northeast.
States expected to see new Barnes & Noble locations include:
The Midwest: Ohio and Illinois
The South: Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Virginia
The West: California, Washington, and Colorado
Washington, D.C. is also part of the expansion, signaling continued interest in major metropolitan areas, as well as fast-growing residential communities.
While exact store addresses and opening dates are still being finalized, several of these locations are expected to open between now and June 2026.
A New Chapter for Barnes & Noble
For readers, this expansion means more than convenience. It means more local author events, curated shelves, and chances to leave with something unexpected.
For communities that lost bookstores years ago, those spaces can finally come back.
If the momentum holds, Barnes & Noble's new stores in 2026 won’t just add square footage. They’ll quietly reshape how we experience books again.
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