Barnes & Noble Opens New Store in San Marcos, CA

Barnes & Noble is pleased to announce the opening of its new San Marcos, CA bookstore on Wednesday, October 7th ^th, 2026. San Marcos, home to a thriving community and also Cal State San Marcos and Palomar College, is for the first time to have its own major bookstore.

The new Barnes & Noble is very large, at over 20,000 square feet in size, and will offer a comprehensive range of books, as well as the toys, games, magazines, vinyl, DVDs, gifts and so much more that is expected of the bookseller. The store will benefit from a Barnes & Noble Café. The new San Marcos, CA Barnes & Noble is located in Grand Plaza (177 S Las Posas Road), in the former Joann Fabrics space, next to Nordstrom Rack.

The San Marcos bookstore is the fifth new Barnes & Noble to open in California this year, following recent openings in Elk Grove, Costa Mesa, Turlock and Clovis. Barnes & Noble plans to open three further California locations this year in Fremont, Cupertino, and Ontario. During 2026, Barnes & Noble will thereby break its own record for the number of new bookstores opened in California in a single year. This honor had until now been held by 2002, a year in which the 7 new openings were led by the opening of the flagship bookstore at The Grove in Los Angeles.

San Marcos Barnes & Noble bookstore will officially open to the public at 10am PST on Wednesday the 7 ^th of October, with local author Kaylie Smith cutting the ribbon and signing copies of her acclaimed book, Phantasma. Costume character Cat in the Hat will also join the festivities and host special storytime events over the weekend.

Barnes & Noble Premium and Rewards Members will earn double stamps on all purchases made between August 12 ^th and August 16 ^th. Customers who are not yet Members are encouraged to sign up and start earning stamps and rewards right away.

Everyone who visits the new San Marcos 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.

“Bringing vibrant, curated bookstores back to Southern California is an immense privilege. We look forward to becoming an essential part of San Marcos’ cultural fabric for many years to come,” said James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. “We are very proud to anchor a community with a brilliant bookstore, run by local booksellers.”

Store Manager Christie Colbert, who has been with Barnes and Noble for 26 years, said, ““I am excited for this community to finally have this beautiful space in which to come together. I hope to bring a strong sense of community through in-store events, Storytimes, book clubs, and engaging with local schools. I hope we can provide a comfortable place for college students to get coffee and study or just get lost in the stacks of books. I want this to be a place that feels welcoming for everyone.”

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

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Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest retail bookseller in the United States. The Company has more than 725 bookstores across the United States, as well as its online bookstore at BN.com, the Nook Digital business which offers both e-books and an audio book subscriptions service. Barnes & Noble also owns the stationery and gift retailer Paper Source and lifestyle brand Levenger. Amongst its bookstores, it owns Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, CO, Books Inc. in the Bay Area, CA, and Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington, KY and Cincinnati, OH.