Barnes & Noble plans to open 30 stores in 2023, making the bookseller the leader of the so-called big-box revival. This expansion comes after more than a decade of declining their numbers in response to competition from Amazon. There are even a few of the new stores opening in the Boston area that, perhaps appropriately, will be in locations previously occupied by Amazon Books.
Expansion of this scale is possible because of increased interest in books and reading as a result of the pandemic — more people are reading because they’re stuck at home, and Barnes & Noble locations have been able to improve business while closed.
At its peak in 2008, Barnes & Noble had 726 stores in the US, but it now has 600. With its plan for openings in 2023, more stores will open than close. The new stores are designed like independent bookshops and invite you to linger.
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