The bookstore retail sector has been in recovery, led by the expansion of the leading chain Barnes & Noble over the last four years. Despite the recovery, companies are still forced to close bookstores for various reasons.The nation’s largest bookstore chain, Barnes & Noble Inc., will close a popular store location in Redwood City, Calif., which operated for 33 years, as its landlord will not renew its lease.The bookstore chain revealed in an Instagram post that its last day of operation will be Sept. 16.
Barnes & Noble was forced to close a 33-year-old location after the landlord wouldn’t renew the lease.Yellow Dog Productions / Getty Images
Barnes & Noble closes longtime location”It is with great sadness that we let you know of the closure of this store, forced by the end to our lease and the landlord offering no option to continue,” Barnes & Noble Redwood City said in the Instagram post.The bookstore chain said that it is seeking a new location in the Redwood City area as soon as possible, but will open a new store in fall 2026 in The Crossroads shopping center, about 20 miles away in Cupertino, Calif.Barnes & Noble invited customers to visit its nearby stores in San Mateo and Burlingame, Calif.Company closed five other storesThe bookstore chain has closed five other stores in 2026 in Nanuet, N.Y; Pembroke Pines, Fla.; Waterbury, Conn.; San Bruno, Calif.; and Portland, Ore.Barnes & Noble previously closed its store in the Almaden Plaza shopping center in San Jose in January 2025, according to KRON-TV in San Francisco. Management was offered positions at other location, but associates were not.Barnes & Noble opening 60 storesDespite closing about six stores so far in 2026, Barnes & Noble said it plans to open about 60 new stores this year, according to a company statement. The chain opened about 67 locations in 2025 and 57 in 2024.Founded in 1971, Barnes & Noble had declined to fewer than 600 locations by 2023 but now operates over 700 bookstores in the U.S. after its recovery and expansion, according to the company. The chain also operates its e-commerce website BN.com.Barnes & Noble’s expansion comes after the chain downsized beginning in 2010 until 2022, closing about 150 stores. While Barnes & Noble, has been recovering from its company downturn, it has also pulled another bookstore chain out of the bankruptcy doldrums.Chain bought bankrupt companyBarnes & Noble acquired 175-year-old bookstore chain Books Inc. out of bankruptcy in 2025, which allowed the iconic nine-shop chain to continue operating.Books Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Jan. 20, 2025, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California seeking a sale of its assets. The bookstore chain won approval on Sept. 23, 2025, to sell its assets to Barnes & Noble for $3.5 million.“This agreement will ensure that Books Inc.’s legacy will continue for the foreseeable future,” Chief Executive Officer Andy Perham said in a statement. “With Barnes & Noble’s deep resources and world-class support, Books Inc. will be able to quickly modernize its operations so we can focus on what we do best: connecting people with books, ideas and each other.”Barnes & Noble’s acquisition of Books Inc. follows a previous purchase of distressed bookstore Tattered Cover in 2024, reflecting its strategy to support independent bookstores facing financial difficulties.Tattered Cover operates two locations in Denver and one in Littleton, Colo.Books Inc., which was established in 1851, claims to be the oldest bookseller in the West.Related: Major bath products retail brand files Chapter 11 bankruptcy