Chicago's indie bookstores brace for Barnes & Noble surge
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The Wicker Park Barnes & Noble. Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios
National bookstore Barnes & Noble continues to add stores in Chicago and the suburbs, stirring a battle with small businesses.
Why it matters: At least one local bookstore says it felt the pain of the chain moving into the neighborhood, and others are worried about the residual effects of what a big box store means for an area.
State of play: Five Barnes & Noble stores have opened in Chicago and the suburbs since 2024, with four more planned this year, including in Old Orchard, Hyde Park, Oak Park, and what will be its largest so far, on State Street in the Loop.
- The new stores go beyond books. The Wicker Park location, for example, has a vast array of children's toys, Legos, magazines and music, but it doesn't have a cafe or areas or cozy chairs encouraging curling up and hanging out.
Zoom in: Wicker Park indie stalwart Volumes Bookcafe closed this month after a decade, and co-owners Kimberly and Rebecca George said in an announcement they were "blindsided" by the arrival of Barnes & Noble down the street in October 2024.
- "Our first holiday season with Barnes nearby ended with sales down almost 30% from years prior. Holidays make or break a small business, and for bookstores, it is our very livelihood that depends on it," the co-owners wrote.
The other side: When Axios asked Barnes & Noble for a response to George, a spokesperson pointed to a recent WBEZ interview in which CEO James Daunt said, "It's really regrettable that our presence didn't sort of provoke more business, not less business. I regret it greatly. But I think we are doing something very different in our store, predominantly because a huge range-holding bookstore is very different from a cafe with books attached."
Friction point: George took issue with that characterization of Volumes, saying her store sold 250,000 books, about 85% of their business, over its 10 years, making it more than a "cafe with books attached."
What we're watching: Barnes & Noble is slated to arrive in Hyde Park next month, in an area rich with independent book stores, including Call & Response Books.
- Owner Courtney Bledsoe describes the store as a true "third space," with shelves often lined with authors ignored by the publishing industry and events including trivia, friend speed dating and book talks.
Bledsoe's worries about Barnes & Noble aren't just about competition.
- "If local landlords realize that they can get a large corporation with deep pockets that's willing to pay more for rent, that's really going to adversely impact what that landscape looks like in ways that really become even more untenable for small businesses," Bledsoe tells Axios.