Barnes & Noble’s turnaround has become a notable brick-and-mortar growth story. After years of store closures, the retailer plans to open approximately 60 new stores in 2026, on top of 67 openings in 2025 and 61 in 2024. The company attributes the expansion to strong store-level performance, a localized operating model that gives autonomy to individual booksellers, and renewed consumer engagement driven by social platforms like BookTok. Expected openings span markets including Texas, California, Florida, Ohio, and New York, reinforcing demand for experiential, community-oriented retail concepts in well-located centers
By Brett Robinson, Brandmarch1 min read
Store opening
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Sources: Retail chain to open 60 new stores in 2026 after years of decline