153-year-old bookstore chain confirms more closures in 2026

Across the U.S., respective longtime retailers are closing locations successful 2026 arsenic lease expirations, spot redevelopments, and shifting retail conditions reshape the industry. For bookstores, portion integer formats similar e-books and audiobooks person grown successful popularity, request for people books remains strong.

These changes travel arsenic 1 of the country's largest bookstore chains balances closures with an ongoing enlargement strategy. Barnes & Noble, whose store number fell beneath 600 successful 2023 pursuing its 2019 acquisition by Elliott Investment Management, has already confirmed further closures conscionable 2 months into 2026.

Barnes & Noble confirmed that its Lloyd Center store successful Portland, Oregon, volition adjacent connected May 2, 2026, owed to the expiration of its lease aft astir 24 years of operation, according to a station connected the store's authoritative Instagram account.

"It is with large sadness that we corroborate the closure of our Barnes & Noble bookstore arsenic our lease has ended," wrote the Barnes & Noble Lloyd Center team. "We person loved being a portion of this vicinity and it has been our grant and privilege to beryllium your bookseller for the past 24 years."

After the closure, the nearest Barnes & Noble determination volition beryllium astir 7.5 miles distant by car astatine 9963 NE Cascades Parkway, according to Google Maps.

The closure is portion of a broader redevelopment of Lloyd Center, the city's oldest mall. Owners Urban Renaissance Group and KKR Real Estate Finance Trust person announced plans to demolish the spot by the extremity of 2026.

The 29.3-acre tract volition beryllium transformed into a mixed-use vicinity with housing, retail, restaurants, amusement venues, bureau spaces, and nationalist assemblage areas, according to the property release.

Mall operations volition proceed during the phased redevelopment to enactment remaining tenants and assemblage events.

"We judge this archetypal maestro program demonstrates the unthinkable imaginable to make an inclusive, sustainable, and vibrant acquisition that volition play a large portion successful this city’s adjacent chapter," said Urban Renaissance Group Managing Director Tom Kilbane successful a property merchandise statement.

The Portland Barnes & Noble is 1 of respective locations that unopen down successful 2026. At slightest 3 different closures person occurred owed to lease expirations.

• Nanuet, NY: Closed January 18 aft astir 33 years (Source: Rockland Times)

• Pembroke Pines, FL: Closed January 18 aft astir 20 years (Source: The Miami New Times)

• Waterbury, CT: Closed January 18 aft astir 30 years (Source: Norwich Bulletin)