Barnes & Noble Opens New Store in Chicago, IL

Barnes & Noble is very pleased to announce the opening of its newest bookstore in Chicago, IL on Wednesday, August 19 ^th 2026. The much-anticipated new store is to open on State Street at the heart of The Loop, occupying the historic building that was once a flagship Borders Bookstore. It is the fourth new bookstore to be opened by Barnes & Noble in the Chicagoland area this year, joining others in Skokie, Hyde Park, and Oak Park.

The new Barnes & Noble bookstore will offer over 20,000 square feet of books, complemented by toys, games, magazines, gifts, and more. The store was a famous bookstore for Borders until the closure of all their stores in 2011. More recently, the building was occupied by Old Navy. The store, located at 150 N State Street in the heart of downtown Chicago, is a beautiful, historic building, suffused with light from its many windows.

Barnes & Noble State Street will officially open to the public at 9AM central time on Wednesday the 19 ^th, with local author Jasmine Warga cutting the ribbon and signing copies of her acclaimed book, The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan. Costume character Pete the Cat will also be in attendance, offering meet & greets for readers young and old.

Barnes & Noble Premium and Rewards Members will earn double stamps on all purchases made between August 19 ^th and 23 ^rd. Customers who are not yet Members are encouraged to sign up and start earning stamps and rewards right away.

Everyone who visits the new State Street Barnes & Noble during the grand opening will have access to exclusive deals, like $50 off any NOOK device. Customers can also save 40% on all DVD, Blu-ray, and 4k Ultra HD movies.

“We are delighted to restore this wonderful building as a home to a major bookstore,” said James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “Returning to The Loop reinforces a significant commitment to Chicago where we have now opened four new bookstores in the last year.”

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 strong sales in its existing stores and has been opening many new stores after more than 15 years of declining store numbers. Barnes & Noble now boasts over 720 bookstores, having been below 600 stores as recently as 2023.

Store Manager John Crum, who has been with Barnes and Noble for 21 years, said, “I am excited to continue our success as a company in Chicago. Our customers love our stores and are always eager to get lost amongst our shelves. My team looks forward to creating a great bookstore in this beautiful space in the heart of a community that has been without a bookstore for so many years.”

Customers can discover more about upcoming events and news by following @bnstatestreet on social media.

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Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest retail bookseller in the United States. The Company has more than 700 bookstores across the United States, as well as its online bookstore at bn.com, the NOOK digital business which offers both eBooks and audiobooks, including the B&N Audiobooks subscription, the SparkNotes educational service, and stationery and gift retailer Paper Source. General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be found on the Company’s website at www.bn.com.