fbpx

Barnes & Noble Grand Opening on Wednesday, March 20

Press release from Barnes & Noble

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Barnes & Noble is thrilled to announce the opening of its new Gainesville bookstore on Wednesday, March 20th. The new Barnes & Noble is located in Butler Plaza (3728 SW Archer Rd., Gainesville, FL 32608) next to Trader Joe’s.

The bookstore will officially open to the public at 9 a.m. on Wednesday the 20th, with author Ginny Myers Sain cutting the ribbon and signing copies of her books. The new location showcases the highly lauded bookstore design seen in the most recent Barnes & Noble store openings, housing all the best books, toys, games, and gifts that customers have come to expect from the nation’s premier bookseller. It will also feature an updated B&N Café.

“In 2013, in the depths of the dark years for booksellers, Gainesville lost its Barnes & Noble,” said James Daunt, CEO, Barnes & Noble. “Now that real bookstores are thriving, it is with great pride that Barnes & Noble returns to Gainesville. We are opening beautiful new bookstores and could not be more pleased to return to Butler Plaza.”

Barnes & Noble is enjoying a period of tremendous growth as the strategy to hand control of each bookstore to its local booksellers has proven so successful. The bookseller is experiencing exceptionally strong sales in its existing stores and has been opening many new stores after more than 15 years of declining store numbers. In 2023, Barnes & Noble opened more new bookstores in a single year than it had in the whole decade from 2009 to 2019. The bookseller expects to open over 50 new bookstores in 2024.

The Gainesville location is one of two new Barnes & Noble bookstores to open on March 20th, alongside a new location in Meriden, CT. Each grand opening has drawn enthusiastic crowds that wrap around the building, filling the store as the ribbon is cut.

“As a longtime bookseller, I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of bringing Barnes & Noble back to Gainesville,” said Store Manager Joy Merrill, Barnes & Noble bookseller of 20 years. “Our loyal customers who travel all the way to Ocala and have fond memories of our previous Gainesville bookstore have been overjoyed at the news of our return — and we can’t wait to welcome them back to their beautiful new Barnes & Noble.”

  • Although I’ve enjoyed Barnes & Noble in years past, I believe the new stores’ intent is to provide certain demographics a place to have free internet while sipping on their custom barista prepared beverages.
    High priced drinks vs paying down one’s debt, anyone else see a problem with that?

  • I really miss walking around good bookstores.

    Many of them are long gone. The local ones tend to have the same tired books on the shelves for years with little turn over.

    Used bookstores tend to carry real treasures.

    A cup of coffee and a bookstore make for a great time.

  • >