 | |
| Founded | Industry |
|---|---|
| 1886 | Bookselling |
| Current CEO | Founders |
| James Daunt | Charles M. Barnes William Barnes G. Clifford Noble Leonard Riggio |
Barnes & Noble Booksellers has a long history dating back to the late 1800s, but as of today it's the largest retail bookstore in America. It's also become one of the biggest online bookstores, rivaling even Amazon. As a store, Barnes & Noble has seen a massive resurgence since 2020 and seems to show no signs of slowing down. It's success has even inspired a Toys 'R' Us comeback in 2026.
Barnes & Noble Locations
According to the Barnes & Noble website, there are a approximately 600 bookstore nationwide. If you're wondering if there's a store close to you, you can check out the retailer's store locator for more details.
What Does It Sell?
If you've been to a Barnes & Noble recently, you'll notice that it isn't just a bookstore. Books are still the main event, but now there are toys, gifts, and even games. Shopping at a Barnes & Noble has become more like a full retail experience than a trip to the library. Here are some of the many product categories featured on the company's website just to give you an idea of what you can expect:
Barnes & Noble is no longer one of the best places to buy books, it's become a good place to buy LEGO sets or even 4K Blu-rays as well. It even occasionally offers exclusive toys you can't buy anywhere else, like the most recent ACOTAR Funko Pop figures.
Barnes & Noble vs. Amazon Books
Amazon and Barnes & Noble are without a doubt the two largest bookstores in the U.S., so how do they compare side by side? We'll break it down for you:
Amazon Has Better Prices
Overall, if you're looking for the most bang for your buck, Amazon has better prices than any other bookstore out there most of the time. Barnes & Noble tends to have competitive pricing for newer book releases, but Amazon has more consistent book deals on everything else.
Barnes & Noble Has Retail Stores
Amazon tried to create a retail presence with its own brick-and-mortar bookstores, but ended up closing them all in 2022 to focus on groceries instead. So Barnes & Noble has the advantage of being an actual physical place you can visit. With about 600 stores, there's a B&N presence in every state. Amazon can ship to pretty much anywhere, but it can't offer up a shopping experience that isn't online.
Kindle Is Bigger Than Nook for eBooks
While Barnes & Noble does offer its own reading tablet and sells eBooks, it isn't nearly as established in that space than Amazon. Amazon's Kindle e-readers are a lot more widely used than Nook and the Kindle Store is connected to each of those devices. Because of this, Amazon usually has better prices on digital books even for those without a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Amazon Has a Lower Free Shipping Minimum
Both Amazon and Barnes & Noble offer free shipping on all orders for anyone who pays for a membership, but they also have free-shipping minimums for non members. Amazon will generally activate free shipping when you spend $30 or more, while Barnes & Noble needs you to spend $50 or more. With folks being more likely to have a Prime membership than a Barnes & Noble premium membership, that makes Amazon the better option for having a book delivered. There's even a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime you can activate to get that 2-day shipping for no cost at all.
Barnes & Noble Has Exclusive Editions
Although Barnes & Noble can't compete on price, it has exclusive collectable books you can only find at its stores. This can come in the form of unique title, a signed copy, or exclusive content from the author. Amazon does sometimes have exclusives, but not nearly as often for books.
