Barnes & Noble Is Closing These Locations, Starting May 22

In-person shopping has taken a hit in popularity, thanks in large part to many of us choosing to shop online from the comfort of our own homes. But conveniently placing orders with the click of a bottom also has its downsides, as many stores have been forced to close due to what some experts call the “retail apocalypse.” Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, big retailers and malls were already struggling to stay afloat. And while some claim we are moving toward what Forbes calls a hybrid model with e-commerce and physical stores, we continue to hear about more and more stores that are pulling the plug. Read on to learn which iconic brand will begin closing locations on May 22.

RELATED: Walmart Is Closing These Stores Permanently on May 20.

One kind of store has experienced a significant downturn over the past couple decades.

Barnes & Noble has been forced to address the rise of Amazon, which accounts for nearly half of the physical books sold in the U.S., The New York Times reported. When stores were forced to close during the pandemic, revenue declined by 50 percent for Barnes & Noble locations in major metropolitan areas, as well as accompanying in-store cafes, according to The Wall Street Journal. Now, even as stores are generally open for in-person browsing, Barnes & Noble announced it would be closing two locations, according to The Boston Globe.

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Both of these closing locations are in the same area.

Despite these closures, Barnes & Noble’s sales have increased, according to The New York Times—up by 3 percent in 2021 when compared with 2019. Book sales specifically were up by 14 percent since the start of the pandemic. Having once been seen as the “big bad wolf,” consuming other independent sellers with mass marketing, the company has turned its critics into cheerleaders.

This is mostly tied to keeping the print business alive, as well as Barnes & Noble’s ability to help readers find new titles and keep investments in actual stores, The Times reported. It’s all rooted in gearing up to fight “a common enemy,” also known as Amazon, Oren J. Teicher, former chief executive of the American Booksellers Association, told the newspaper.

However, the ongoing battle with Amazon may not be the definitive reason why bookstores, like those in Boston, are being forced to close their doors. As one commenter on the Prudential Center’s Facebook post wrote, the closure of physical stores may actually have to do with “the extreme challenges of paying commercial rents as a storefront business,” and not Amazon’s dominant presence.

RELATED: This Popular Chain Is Closing 145 Stores This Year.