Barnes & Noble Is Closing Location That Has Been Home For 2 Decades

WHITE PLAINS, NY — A bookseller will be closing the book on a longtime location in Westchester County.

The Barnes and Noble at City Center in White Plains will be closing on April 20 when the lease ends, according to Barnes and Noble spokesperson Janine Flanigan.

"We have loved being a part of the neighborhood and it has been our honor and privilege to serve here for the last 20 years," Flanigan said in a statement to Patch. "We have three wonderful nearby stores we invite customers to visit, once this location is closed."

Other Barnes and Noble locations in Westchester County are located in Hartsdale, Mohegan Lake, Mount Kisco, Scarsdale, and Yonkers.

Despite the White Plains store closing, Barnes & Noble has been opening new stores throughout the country and says that the company has had huge growth recently, after 15 years of declining store numbers. Barnes & Noble opened more stores in 2024 than it did during the decade between 2009 to 2019. The company says that it expects to open more than 60 new stores this year.

One reason for the rise in bookstore openings is "BookTok," a sub-community of TikTok where readers produce content about the books they enjoy reading, which has subsequently resulted in millions of books being sold.

"Since the rise of BookTok during the pandemic, bookstores have seen a significant surge in popularity, especially among young people," Barnes & Noble told Fast Company. "Our stores have become popular social spots, offering an experience that online shopping simply can’t match."