Despite reports of doom and gloom for booksellers for years, interest in brick-and-mortar bookshops is now on the upswing. Independent bookshops are enjoying increasing popularity, and Barnes & Noble has been noticing sales so strong that the chain recently announced it will be opening 60 new stores across the U.S. in 2026 to meet demand.
The massive bookstore chain opened dozens of stores in 2025 and plans to continue one of its most ambitious expansions in decades, confident that readers still want a place to browse, linger and purchase books in real person rather than online.
In a statement to USA Today, the company explained that the push is fueled by strong sales in existing locations and steady momentum. Clearly, the stores that are open are doing well enough to justify opening many more.
In a recent strategy shift, Barnes & Noble has handed over more control to local booksellers, giving individual shops more say over their layouts, selections and events. The result is less cookie-cutter retail and more neighborhood bookstore energy. That approach has paid off. In 2024, the company opened more locations in a single year than it did in the entire decade from 2009 to 2019.
While specific addresses and opening dates for 2026 are still being finalized, the chain is planning to set up shop in Ohio, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Colorado, Washington, California, Virginia, Georgia and Washington, D.C. Some of the stores are expected to open between now and June 2026, while other will debut later in the year.
New Barnes & Noble locations opened in 2025
Abilene, Texas: 3417 Catclaw Dr (Shops at Abilene)
Austin, Texas: 9600 S I-35 Frontage Road (Southpark Meadows)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 7455 Corporate Blvd., Ste. 430 (Town Center at Cedar Lodge)
Bellevue, Washington: 1140 Bellevue Square
Brea, California: 439 S. Associated Rd. (Brea Plaza)
Brentwood, California: 2475 Sand Creek Rd.
Brownsville, Texas: 2370 North Express Way (Sunrise Mall)
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania: 720 W. Lancaster Ave.
Burleson, Texas: 1107 N Burleson Blvd.
Clark, New Jersey: 1255 Raritan Rd. (Clark Commons)
Chesire, Connecticut: 1991 Highland Ave. (The Shops at Stone Bridge)
Dickson City, Pennsylvania: 638 Commerce Blvd.
Dublin, Ohio: 3708 W. Dublin-Granville Road (Sun Center)
Gainesville, Virginia: 8139 Stonewall Shops Square
Germantown, Tennessee: 2130 Exeter Rd. (Germantown Collection)
Glen Allen, Virginia: 9840 Brook Rd.
Glenwood Springs, Colorado: 115 E. Meadows Dr. (Glenwood Meadows)
Grand Rapids, Michigan: 2236 E. Beltline Ave NE
Hamilton, Ohio: 3339 Princeton Rd. (Bridgewater Falls)
Houston, Texas: 12850 Memorial Drive
Huntington Station, New York: 301 Walt Whitman Rd.
Issaquah, Washington: 775 NW Gilman Blvd.
Knoxville, Tennessee: 11334 Parkside Dr. (Pinnacle at Turkey Creek)
La Jolla, California: 8657 Villa La Jolla Dr. (La Jolla Village Square)
Lakeland, Florida: 3615 S Florida Ave. (Merchants Walk)
Lakewood, Washington: 10330 59th Ave. Southwest (Lakewood Towne Center)
Lansing, Michigan: 420 Frandor Ave. (Frandor Shopping Center)
Los Gatos, California: 122 N. Santa Cruz Ave.
Meridian, Idaho: 2260 North Eagle Rd. (The Village at Meridian)
Miami, Florida: 13605 S Dixie Hwy (Colonial Palms Plaza)
Miami, Florida: 8525 Mills Dr. (The Palms at Town & Country)
Minnetonka, Minnesota: 11500 Wayzata Blvd. (WestRidge Market)
Napa, California: 3900 Bel Aire Plaza (Bel Aire Plaza)
Naperville, Illinois: 9 Jackson Ave.
Naples, Florida: 4149 Tamiami Trail N.
North Canton, Ohio: 5501 Dressler Rd.
Orange, California: 20 City Blvd. W.
Overland Park, Kansas: 7840 W 161st St. (Bluhawk Mall)
Papillon, Nebraska: 7949 Towne Center Pkwy
Palm Harbor, Florida: 33591 US Highway 19 N. (Highland Lakes Plaza)
Pasadena, Maryland: 8044 Ritchie Highway (Pasadena Crossroads)
Phoenix, Arizona: 2011 E. Camelback Rd. (The Shops at Town & Country)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: 103 Shady Ave.
Puyallup, Washington: 3500 South Meridian St. (South Hill Mall)
Rapid City, South Dakota: 1617 Eglin St (Rushmore Crossing)
Rockwall, Texas: 1009 E Interstate 30 (Plaza at Rockwall)
Southbury, Connecticut: 775 Main St S. (Southbury Green shopping center)
Spring, Texas: 6600 Spring Stuebner Road Ste. 152 (Grand Parkway Marketplace)
Stamford, Connecticut: 1145 High Ridge Rd.
Superior, Colorado: 550 Marshall Rd.
Tampa, Florida: 13123 N. Dale Mabry Hwy
Tequesta, Florida: 151 N. US Highway 1
Westminster, Maryland: 402 Englar Rd. (Westminster Crossing West)
York, Pennsylvania: 2935 Concord Rd. (York Town Center)