Barnes & Noble plans store in Cupertino

In tech driven Silicon Valley, Barnes & Noble is bringing back its brick-and-mortar brand to Cupertino.

The store, located at 20740 Stevens Creek Blvd., is part of a nationwide expansion aimed at launching 60 stores in 2026. The 19,200-square-foot bookstore will feature a modern design layout, along with curated selections of books, toys and more. The vacant building was previously occupied by bankrupt retailer Party City.

The project is still under review by Cupertino and no opening date has been set, but the city is eager to fill the space.

“The city has a long history of supporting local businesses and fostering a welcoming business environment,” City Manager Tina Kapoor told San José Spotlight. “We look forward to seeing this retail space serve the community and contribute to the vibrancy of the area.”

The bookstore’s return follows the closure of several South Bay Barnes & Noble locations, including Almaden Plaza and Eastridge Mall in San Jose and The Pruneyard shopping center in Campbell. Yet in 2025 the retailer did open a 7,000-square-foot store in Los Gatos.

“As soon as consumers demand something, it allows companies to reprioritize those priorities. That shift is driven by consumer values and demand,” Audrey Guo, assistant professor of economics at the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University, told San José Spotlight. “There’s a segment of the market — particularly in discretionary spending — that is intentionally trying to support bookstores rather than online marketplaces.”

Amazon, one of Barnes & Noble’s primary competitors, has been a known disruptor of the bookselling industry, causing  physical bookstores to phase out due to company’s online accessibility and lower prices.

However, Barnes & Noble underwent a leadership shift in 2019 after being acquired by Elliott Investment Management and appointing James Daunt as CEO, who had previously helped revive Waterstones — a British bookseller — from the brink of bankruptcy.

In 2025, Barnes & Noble also acquired Books Inc., a struggling independent bookstore chain in the Bay Area, which has four locations in Santa Clara County.

Recycled Bookstore owner Eric Johnson, who has stores in Campbell and San Jose, said Barnes & Noble’s return reflects readers’ desire for tangible experiences.

“There’s been backlash to content being entirely digital. Readers want an experience — something that allows them to explore ideas,” Johnson told San José Spotlight. “Barnes & Noble does a good job of being that bookstore.”

Its emulation of local bookstores — rather than its original warehouse-style model — was a shift implemented by Daunt following his appointment. The founder of Daunt Books began his career in independent bookselling and has sought to replicate the model while moving the chain away from its 1990s retail feel.

Johnson is totally on board, noting people are eager to see a return to independent-like bookselling and the community surrounding it.

That demand, experts said, is also shaping how bookstores position themselves in a changing market.

“It’s about product differentiation,” Guo said. “With social media and the growing popularity of book clubs and meetups, bookstores host events and sell things like toys, games and calendars as well. It’s another way of differentiating the in-person bookstore experience from the online marketplace.”

Overall, community reception to the development has been positive. Diane Roche, director of marketing and communications for the Santa Clara County Library District, which includes Cupertino Library, shared a similar sentiment.

“All reading is good reading,” Diane Roche told San José Spotlight.

Contact Sofia Ruvalcaba at [email protected] or @sofiaruvs on X.