In a book market dominated by Amazon, Barnes & Noble seemed to become more obsolete each year, reporting yearly losses in the millions during the late 2010s. However, the retail chain opened sixty new locations in 2025 and plans to do so again in 2026, indicating that physical bookstores are making a comeback. Does the recovery of Barnes & Noble stem simply from their recent leadership changes, or does it reflect a broader cultural return to analog media in the digital age?
In 2019, Elliott Advisors acquired Barnes & Noble for $683 million, shortly after acquiring the UK-based bookseller Waterstones. To revive Barnes & Noble, Elliott sought help from Waterstones’s CEO, James Daunt, who had over thirty years of experience in the book business. Daunt made several changes to Barnes & Noble’s operations that seem to have contributed to the company’s resurgence. Under his advice, the chain has more carefully curated its selection of non-book merchandise, “such as games, toys, gifts, home décor, CDs and DVDs” (Forbes). Daunt also emphasized the importance of each store maintaining its own identity, deviating from uniform display arrangements across the franchise and allowing locations to display books “in a manner which really engages with your local community” (Forbes).
Barnes & Noble are evidently on the mend, but it was always a powerhouse in the book world. Does its renewed success indicate a win just for Barnes & Noble, or for brick-and-mortar bookselling overall? Daunt says, “If you buy Percival Everett’s James from Amazon, it’s the same Percival Everett I will sell you. But if you come into this store to buy it, you will have an experience.” However, some readers may seek an even more personalized book-buying experience than a massive chain like Barnes & Noble can provide, finding more uniqueness in independent bookstores.
So, how are indie booksellers faring in the current economy? The American Booksellers Association (ABA), which supports independent bookstore owners, added 255 new members in the last year and claimed in its annual report that “around 192 additional bookstores plan to open in the next few years.” One way that indie booksellers are setting themselves apart is through strategic partnerships with other businesses, such as cafes and wine bars. Additionally, indie bookstores focus on community events to bring in customers, partnering with local book clubs and hosting events such as pet adoptions with local shelters (Chamber of Commerce).
We can see that despite the omnipresence of Amazon, both chain and indie bookstores remain alive and well. Furthermore, Publishers Weekly has reported an increase in print book sales for both 2024 and 2025. Do these statistics indicate that, in our increasingly digital world, people are seeking refuge in analog media? While physical book sales have gone up, some prominent publications, like Publishers Weekly, attribute this increase to the popularity of social media platforms like BookTok. Also, indie booksellers are strategically using social media to market books, especially to younger readers, displaying their merchandise in a way that’s palatable to TikTok and Instagram influencers. From my own experience, any bookstore I walk into nowadays, from Powell’s to Barnes & Noble, features a prominent display dedicated to books that are popular on BookTok.
This all leads me to believe that while the increase in print book sales is encouraging, it doesn’t necessarily correlate to less time spent on our phones. However, I’m encouraged by the fact that online platforms, while still inescapable, are being used less as a complete replacement for analog media and human connection and more as a way to discover new stories and build real-life communities around those stories.
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