Barnes & Noble Will Open 60 New Stores in 2025, Indie Bookstores Are Thriving — And We Have TikTok to Thank (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

The exterior of the Barnes & Noble bookstore on Fifth Avenue in New York City.Photo:Getty

Getty

Good news, bibliophiles: bookstores are making a comeback in 2025.In January, bookstore chain Barnes & Noble announced that it’sset to open at least 60 new storesthis year, per theFinancial Times. The news comes after the store’s previous record of opening of 57 stores in 2024, following a period of closing locations nationwide, according to aFast Companyreport.Recently opened stores include a new flagship location in the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington, DC, with other locations set to open in New York, Florida and California, among other states.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer , from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.With online marketplaces like Amazon providing easy avenues to purchase books, running a brick and mortar bookstore is an uphill battle, but it’s one their proprietors often see as much as a calling as a career.

Stock photo of bookshelves.Kristina Strasunske/Getty

Kristina Strasunske/Getty

“Indie bookstores have been a cornerstone of their communities and acting as third spaces, for decades,” says Courtney Ulrich Smith, owner ofUnderbrush Booksin Rogers, Ark. and a Bindery Influencer at not.so.well.read. “Many, if not all, provide free programming, educational resources and safe, welcoming space for all folks — this is particularly important for younger readers, who need the encouragement and support of adults in their lives to continue fostering their love of reading.”

And those young readers are flocking to them in droves. One reason why bookstores are on the rise is the popularity of BookTok, the reading community on social media app TikTok which has been credited for boosting book sales beginningduring the COVID-19 lockdown. Social media-native content like book hauls (in which users show off their recent purchases) and bookshelf tours, make owning physical books trendier than ever, and stores have also catered specific sections of their stores to favorite BookTok titles and authors, like Sarah J. Maas,Rebecca YarrosandColleen Hoover.

“Since the rise of BookTok during the pandemic, bookstores have seen a significant surge in popularity, especially among young people,” a representative from Barnes & Noble toldFast Company. “Our stores have become popular social spots, offering an experience that online shopping simply can’t match.”

The app has also had a direct impact on publishing in other ways. ByteDance Ltd., the parent company of TikTok, launched the book imprint 8th Note Press in 2023. The publisher, which previously released digital-only titles, willlaunch a line of print titlesin genres that are especially popular on BookTok, like romance and young adult.

The increasing need for “third spaces,” or gathering places for people outside of their homes and workplaces, has also enabled bookstores to step in and continue to fill that need. In addition to offering physical places to gather, many also offer a safe space for those who may not have similar havens at home or elsewhere.

A stock photo of books on display in a bookstore.Getty

And as book banning reaches a crisis level in the United States, offering young readers access to books matters more than ever. According toPEN America, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness for the protection of free expression through the advancement of literature and human rights, schools have seen a200% increasein the banning of certain types of literature — which translates into roughly 10,000 books between 2023-2024.

And in our increasingly digital world, they’re also important places for readers — and community members — to get to know one another offline.

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source: people.com