Barnes & Noble To Open 60 New Stores in 2025

Major book retail chain Barnes & Noble is set to open 60 new stores throughout 2025.

The company announced the news in a press release. Barnes & Noble is currently undergoing a retail resurgence, driven by its decision to give local booksellers greater autonomy in managing individual stores.

This approach has yielded impressive results. The company is seeing robust sales at established locations while significantly expanding its footprint. After more than 15 years of shrinking store counts, the retailer has reversed course, opening more new locations in 2024 than it did from 2009 through 2019.

The book retailer plans to launch over 60 additional stores in 2025. Its newest Naperville, Illinois, location will open its doors on April 23. This location is one of four that are opening as April concludes, along with new stores in Florida, Nebraska, and New York.

In March, Barnes & Noble opened locations in Tequesta, Florida, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Gainesville, Virginia. February saw new stores in Issaquah, Washington, North Canton, Ohio, and Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. And in January, the retailer opened locations in Bellevue, Washington, Superior, Colorado, Naples, Florida, Brentwood, California, and Houston, Texas.

“We are very happy to return to Naperville, where for 25 years we were a community staple,” said James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “Our longtime booksellers are as eager to be back in town as they are to welcome customers into their brand-new Naperville Barnes & Noble.”

Barnes & Noble’s Roots Trace Back to 1873

Barnes & Noble, one of America’s most iconic bookselling brands, has a long and storied history that reflects the evolution of book retailing in the United States. Per its website, the company traces its roots back to 1873, when Charles M. Barnes opened a book-printing business in Wheaton, Illinois. The firm would later relocate to New York City, where in 1917, William Barnes partnered with G. Clifford Noble to form what became known as Barnes & Noble.

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Throughout the 20th century, Barnes & Noble set itself apart in the retail book industry, offering discounts on bestsellers and creating inviting spaces for browsing. In the 1970s and 1980s, under the leadership of Leonard Riggio, the company expanded aggressively, acquiring other bookstores and opening large-scale superstores.

By the 1990s, Barnes & Noble had become a household name, known for its wide selection of titles, author events, and in-store cafés. The company was also a pioneer in online retail, launching BarnesandNoble.com in 1997 as a competitor to Amazon. Despite early success, the rise of e-commerce and digital reading presented major challenges in the 2000s, leading to a decline in brick-and-mortar sales and store closures.

In 2019, the company was acquired by Elliott Management, a private equity firm, and placed under the leadership of British bookseller James Daunt. He empowered local store managers to curate selections based on their communities. This shift led to a remarkable turnaround, with renewed customer interest, growing sales, and a return to store expansion.

The New York Times reports that Daunt, who called himself “an independent bookseller in background and ethos,” was instrumental in revitalizing the chain. He switched the store’s concept to feel more like an independent bookseller rather than a big-box store. He allowed for intimate seating and areas for customers to sit and work, and he helped the store feel brighter and lighter than a traditional dark bookstore, making it more inviting for customers to linger longer.

Barnes & Noble also owns and operates an online bookstore at BN.com, a NOOK Digital business offering eBook and audiobook subscription services. It is also home to the SparkNotes educational service and stationery and gift retailer Paper Source.

Currently, Barnes & Noble serves over 600 communities in all 50 states.