B&N Continues Store Openings, Buys Independent Bookseller

Barnes & Noble Inc. (New York) continues to regrow its physical footprint, including acquiring the two-store Joseph-Beth Booksellers. B&N’s ongoing openings give it 720-plus stores now, which is virtually the same size as the chain was when it last peaked. That was 2008, and when it had 726 stores. (During its downsizing phase, which lasted about a decade, the company’s fleet fell to about 600 stores.)

Per news releases on the B&N website, in recent weeks the chain has opened new stores in Elk Grove, Calif.; Jenkintown, Pa.; San Antonio; and Orlando. Meantime, terms of the Joseph-Beth deal – which involves combination stores/bistros in Norwood, Ohio (a suburb of Cincinnati) and Lexington, Ky. – were not disclosed in the news release on the deal.

B&N officials said the stores will keep their names.

“Joseph-Beth Booksellers has a storied history and wonderful bookstores, and we are very pleased to ensure their continuity,” said James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “We especially look forward to welcoming the booksellers of these two distinctive bookstores into the company.”

Said Robert Langley, owner of Joseph-Beth Booksellers and The Mall at Lexington Green: “This decision was made for the continued success of Joseph-Beth Booksellers. For 40 years, Joseph-Beth has been more than a bookstore. It has been a gathering place for readers, families, local authors, teachers and neighbors. In honoring its importance to the communities its two stores serve and to support its future longevity, this decision was necessary.”