Full Breakdown
Independent Bookstores Thrive as Barnes & Noble Revives and Amazon Looms
5/29/2026, 8:26:56 PM
Data & Statistics
- The American Booksellers Association (ABA) reported a net gain of more than 500 members in the past year, bringing total membership to 3,417 stores (3,783 locations)—nearly triple the figure a decade ago and the highest level since the late 1990s.
- Barnes & Noble, under CEO James Daunt, has opened over 100 new stores in the last two years, reversing a long-term contraction that began in the 2010s.
Background & Context
For decades, popular culture portrayed independent bookstores as a dying breed, a perception reinforced by the rise of Amazon and the earlier dominance of Barnes & Noble in the 1980s-1990s. Recent ABA data, however, show that the decline ended years ago, driven in part by a surge in romance, fantasy, and “romantasy” titles that attract niche audiences. The genre boom has spurred diverse formats—general-interest shops, mobile bookstores, and pop-up concepts—expanding the independent sector’s reach.
Key Figures & Groups
- Allison Hill, CEO of the ABA, oversees the trade association representing independent retailers.
- James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble and founder of Daunt Books (London), leads the chain’s renewed expansion.
- Kelley Hartnett, former marketing consultant, launched Double Dog Bookshop in 2025 as a mobile store before opening a downtown storefront in Wentzville, Missouri.
- Heather Nelson and Sophie Schauer Eldred, co-owners of Book Loft Oak Park (Chicago area), represent newer independents confronting nearby Barnes & Noble openings.
On-the-Ground Reports
Hartnett’s Double Dog Bookshop began as a converted cargo trailer, accompanied by two Australian cattle-dog mutts, traveling the Wentzville region before establishing a permanent space. She describes the shop as “about maybe 50 % books and 50 % community,” emphasizing in-person interaction as a remedy to digital fatigue. In Chicago, the Book Loft Oak Park, opened last summer, monitors foot traffic as a new Barnes & Noble prepares to open nearby, hoping the larger retailer will draw curious shoppers into the neighborhood.
Official Statements & Responses
The ABA notes that while membership growth signals renewed consumer interest, independent stores remain “precarious” due to high operating costs and reduced purchasing power from schools and libraries facing budget cuts. Barnes & Noble’s leadership asserts that its expansion is not intended to cannibalize independents; Daunt emphasizes his personal experience as an independent seller and frames the market as non-finite. Local owners such as the Volume Books proprietor in Chicago attribute recent sales declines to the proximity of new Barnes & Noble locations, underscoring the thin margins that define the sector.
Criticism & Opposition
Independent retailers voice concern that even modest sales dips can jeopardize a year’s viability. The resurgence of Barnes & Noble, once blamed for mass closures, now raises fresh anxieties about market saturation and competition for limited consumer dollars.
Verbatim Quotes
- “People are craving connection, especially in-person connection,” — Kelley Hartnett, Owner, Double Dog Bookshop
- “When I tell them I run the trade association for independent stores, they’ll say, ‘It’s just so sad that they’re disappearing.’ I don’t think they’re really keeping track, or they just know about a store that closed or heard about one closing.” — Allison Hill, CEO, American Booksellers Association
- “even a small decrease in sales can make or break a bookstore’s year in an industry with paper-thin margins.” — Allison Hill, ABA
- “I’m an independent seller myself,” — James Daunt, CEO, Barnes & Noble
- “We’re hoping people whose curiosity is piqued by the new Barnes & Noble will walk down the street,” — Sophie Schauer Eldred, Co-owner, Book Loft Oak Park
What’s Next
Barnes & Noble’s upcoming Chicago store will test the coexistence model championed by independents like Book Loft Oak Park. Meanwhile, the ABA projects continued membership growth as genre-driven communities expand, while independent owners monitor cost pressures and the evolving competitive landscape.
