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Barnes & Noble Opens 20,000-Square-Foot Store at Mall St. Matthews, Its Third Louisville Location
The bookseller's new Mall St. Matthews storefront is part of a 60-store national expansion planned for 2026, giving Louisville readers a third Barnes & Noble and a fresh anchor at the shopping center.
LOUISVILLE â Barnes & Noble has opened a 20,000-square-foot store at Mall St. Matthews, giving the bookseller its third location in the Louisville market and adding a major retail anchor to the shopping center.
The store, which occupies more than 20,000 square feet at the mall, is part of a 60-store nationwide expansion the company has scheduled for 2026. The opening was announced Nov. 13.
The new location marks a continued bet by the national chain on physical bookstores at a time when brick-and-mortar retail has struggled in many markets. For St. Matthews, the arrival brings a large-format bookseller back into one of the east Louisville area's busiest shopping corridors.
Barnes & Noble had previously signaled its plans for the site, with the company confirming in May that it intended to open at Mall St. Matthews. The store's debut this month follows through on that plan and adds to the retailer's existing Louisville footprint.
The expansion comes as the broader book business has shown resilience, with independent bookstores and chains alike reporting renewed interest from readers in recent years. A 20,000-square-foot store typically carries a broad mix of books, magazines, gifts, games and related merchandise, and often includes a café or event space.
For Mall St. Matthews, the opening fills a sizable retail space and adds a destination tenant that could help drive foot traffic to neighboring shops and restaurants. The mall has seen a series of changes in its tenant mix over the past year, including new food and dessert concepts.
The store is open now at Mall St. Matthews.