What Happened to Barnes & Noble Store Closures and Expansion?

For over a decade leading up to 2019, Barnes & Noble, the largest retail bookseller in the United States, faced a challenging retail landscape marked by declining sales and numerous store closures. The rise of e-commerce giants like Amazon and the increasing popularity of digital books led the company to shutter approximately 150 stores after its sales peaked in 2008, with its store count falling below 600 by 2023. This period saw Barnes & Noble struggling to find its identity, cycling through various CEOs and strategies that often veered away from its core bookselling mission.

The pivotal turning point arrived in 2019 when Barnes & Noble was acquired by Elliott Investment Management for $683 million. The hedge fund appointed James Daunt, known for successfully revitalizing the UK's Waterstones chain, as CEO. Daunt's strategy was a radical departure from the previous centralized, corporate-driven model. He empowered individual store managers to curate their own inventory based on local tastes, eliminated publisher-paid prime shelf placements, and focused on creating inviting, community-centric 'third spaces' rather than generic retail outlets. This localized approach significantly reduced returns from 30% to just 7% by 2024, saving millions in operational costs and improving efficiency.

This strategic shift, combined with a surprising resurgence in demand for physical books—partially fueled by social media phenomena like 'BookTok'—ignited a remarkable comeback. Barnes & Noble began aggressively opening new stores, reversing nearly two decades of decline. The company opened approximately 30 new stores in 2023, followed by 57-61 in 2024, and 60-67 in 2025. This expansion marked a significant increase, with more new bookstores opened in 2024 alone than in the entire decade from 2009 to 2019.

As of 2026, Barnes & Noble continues its growth trajectory. The company has confirmed plans to open another 60 new stores across the U.S. throughout the year, with several expected between January and June 2026. These new locations are not only entering new markets but also returning to areas previously served, with confirmed leases in states like Ohio, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Colorado, Washington, California, Virginia, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. The company's total store count now stands at over 700 locations. While the overall trend is one of expansion, some older stores, such as the Lloyd Center location in Portland, Oregon (May 2026), Pembroke Pines, Florida (January 2026), San Bruno, California (May 2026), and Redwood City, California (September 2026), have closed or are slated to close due to lease expirations or property redevelopments. These closures, however, are isolated incidents within a broader, successful expansion strategy.

The current status of Barnes & Noble is one of robust health and continued growth. The company aims to grow its national footprint to more than 1,000 locations in the coming years, demonstrating confidence in the enduring appeal of physical bookstores. The success of Barnes & Noble under Daunt's leadership is seen as a testament to the power of localized engagement, curated experiences, and the human desire for discovery that online retail cannot fully replicate.