People are saddened to hear that Barnes & Noble is closing hundreds of its stores over the next few years, according to the chain's chief executive. The closings will affect 190 to 240 stores over the next 10 years. The Los Angeles Times shared the details on Jan. 28.
Shoppers will see Barnes & Noble closings of about a third of the retailer's brick-and-mortar locations, reducing the number from 689 to somewhere between 450 to 500. Mitchell Klipper, the chain's chief executive, says this will be spread out over the next decade, and the numbers indicate this isn't a dramatic increase over what the chain has been doing over the past few years. However, Barnes & Noble growth with new locations opening has come to something of a standstill.
So far there are no details over which locations Barnes & Noble is closing. The past decade has seen B&N closing about 15 stores a year, but many years saw a separate influx of 30 new locations per year. That seems to be where the chain's strategy is shifting, as only two new stores have opened in the past fiscal year.
Will you be disappointed to see a downward shift in the number of B&N locations? Are you worried that the Barnes & Noble closings will affect your favorite location?
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