Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble is the largest bookstore chain in the United States and a familiar, full-line destination for books, gifts, and educational products. Its stores offer a broad selection of physical books alongside toys, games, stationery, and seasonal gift items, supported in many locations by author events, book clubs, and community programming that keep traffic steady throughout the week. The company also sells physical and digital content through its website and the NOOK digital reading platform, allowing customers to shop in-store and online under a single national brand.

The business dates back to 1886, when Charles M. Barnes started a book business in Wheaton, Illinois. He later joined with G. Clifford Noble in New York City, a partnership that evolved into the Barnes & Noble name recognized across the country. Over the twentieth century, the company expanded through college bookstores, large-format superstores, and a substantial wholesale operation, and in the 1990s and 2000s it became a dominant national bookseller as it rolled out hundreds of big-box bookstores and one of the earliest major e-commerce sites in the category.

Over time Barnes & Noble broadened beyond traditional bookselling. It developed the NOOK e-reading and e-book business and added complementary brands such as SparkNotes and the stationery and gift retailer Paper Source. In 2019, Elliott Advisors (UK) Limited acquired Barnes & Noble and appointed bookseller James Daunt as CEO. Under this ownership, the company shifted from a period of net store contraction to a store-by-store reinvention program that emphasizes local curation, more flexible store formats, and a renewed focus on physical bookstores.

As of November 2025, Barnes & Noble operates more than 700 bookstores across the United States, supported by its online bookstore and digital services. Over roughly the last five years, the brand has moved away from a one-size-fits-all big-box approach and toward right-sized, locally curated bookstores that can fit into a wider range of retail environments. This has included new and relocated stores in major metropolitan areas, suburban lifestyle centers, grocery-anchored neighborhood centers, college and university-adjacent trade areas, and select secondary and tertiary markets.

The company is in an active expansion and repositioning phase. It is opening new locations, relocating older units to updated spaces, and remodeling existing stores with lighter, more contemporary designs and more efficient layouts. Recent activity includes new stores in markets such as Orange, California, as well as the introduction of new in-store concepts like the Barnes & Noble A24 Shop, which creates dedicated areas that connect film and publishing content. These initiatives show a willingness to experiment within the four walls and to refresh the experience for repeat visitors.

For landlords, brokers, and developers, Barnes & Noble functions as a proven, traffic-driving tenant with a format that adapts to different center types and trade areas. Stores can serve as a draw in regional lifestyle centers, add a strong daily and weekly use to neighborhood and grocery-anchored projects, and perform as a cultural anchor in mixed-use and urban locations near transit and campuses. The chain brings national name recognition, experienced real estate and development leadership, and a visible pipeline of new openings and relocations, which together signal a long-term commitment to physical retail across a broad range of U.S. markets.