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Barnes & Noble is set to debut a new bookstore at Westfield Old Orchard in Skokie, with the two-story location scheduled to open this week. The store will occupy the former Zara space within the shopping center, positioned near neighboring retailers Loft and The Cheesecake Factory. The format spans nearly 23,000 square feet across two levels, providing the bookseller with a sizable footprint in a high-traffic retail environment.
The opening follows the recent closure of Barnes & Noble’s previous bookstore at Old Orchard, which shut its doors last month in connection with the shopping center’s ongoing renovation. The new space is described as being just around the corner from the former location, allowing the brand to maintain its presence at the same property while the broader redevelopment progresses. This continuity suggests an effort to minimize disruption for existing customers even as the center undergoes upgrades.
The new Old Orchard store comes amid a broader expansion effort by Barnes & Noble. The company reports strong sales performance at its existing stores and has resumed opening new locations after more than 15 years of net store-count decline. As part of this renewed growth strategy, Barnes & Noble plans to open more than 60 new bookstores in 2026, signaling a sizable pipeline of additional units across its national footprint.
The Skokie bookstore is also the first of four new Barnes & Noble locations scheduled to open in Illinois this year. A new store in Hyde Park is expected to open next month, followed by additional openings in Oak Park and on State Street later in the summer. Taken together, these planned Illinois openings and the new Westfield Old Orchard store illustrate the company’s current emphasis on expanding in key urban and suburban trade areas.
For Westfield Old Orchard, the backfill of the former Zara space with a nationally recognized bookseller coincides with the center’s renovation program. While detailed leasing and ownership terms were not disclosed, the move keeps a large-format retailer in a prominent location at the property and preserves the center’s mix of destination tenants.
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