Barnes & Noble Opens a Second Bookstore in Albany, NY10/23/2026

Author Laurie Gilmore to Host Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony and Book Signing at the Grand Opening at 10AM on Wednesday, October 28^th, 2026

Albany, NY - October 21^st, 2026 -Barnes & Noble is pleased to announce the opening of its new bookstore in Albany, NY on Wednesday, October 28^th. Located at Crossgates Mall, the new store is the first of three Barnes & Noble stores scheduled to open in upstate New York this year. It joins the existing Barnes & Noble bookstore at Colonie Center in serving readers throughout New York's Capital District.

The new Albany, NY Barnes & Noble is located on the upper level in the former Forever 21 space at Crossgates Mall (1 Crossgates Mall Road R205, Albany, NY 12203), across from REI. Spanning more than 18,000 square feet, this location will offer a comprehensive selection of books, toys, games, magazines, gift items, vinyl, and more. The new location will also feature a Barnes & Noble Café.

Crossgates Barnes & Noble bookstore will officially open to the public at 10AM eastern on Wednesday October 28^th, with local author Laurie Gilmore cutting the ribbon and signing copies of her acclaimed book, Big Bad Wolf. Costume Character Arthur will also join the festivities and host special story time events over the weekend.

The new Crossgates Barnes & Noble marks a continued investment by the bookseller in interior mall locations. This is a major shift from the era in the early 2000's when chain booksellers, notably Barnes & Noble and Borders booksellers, closed almost all their interior mall stores. Waldenbooks had over 1,200 stores and there were 770 B. Dalton Bookseller stores at their peak. Recent mall openings by Barnes & Noble include a doubling of the size of their Fayette Mall location in Lexington only two years after first opening in this mall.

The Crossgates Barnes & Noble is one of 8 new stores to open in October, with Barnes & Noble expecting to open 60 stores in 2026, the same total it added in the previous year. Barnes & Noble now boasts over 730 bookstores, having been below 600 stores as recently as 2023. Barnes & Noble is enjoying a period of tremendous growth as the strategy to hand control of each bookstore to its local booksellers has proven so successful.

The design of the Crossgates store showcases the ambition of Barnes & Noble to create exceptional local bookstores that marry the best traditions of independent bookselling with the resources of the historic chain.

Barnes & Noble Premium and Rewards Members will earn double stamps on all purchases made between October 28^th and November 1^st. Customers who are not yet Members are encouraged to sign up and start earning stamps and rewards right away.

Everyone who visits the new Crossgates Barnes & Noble during the grand opening will have access to exclusive deals, like $50 off any NOOK device. Customers can also save 40% on all DVD, Blu-ray, and 4k Ultra HD movies.

"We open a beautiful bookstore at Crossgates," said James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. "The combination of such ambitious design with the skills of our booksellers has created an extraordinary bookstore. We invest next in our flagship bookstore in the Colonie Center to transform bookselling in the Capital Region."

Store Manager Michelle Traver, a long-tenured bookseller with Barnes and Noble in Albany, said, " The team and I are excited to be able to offer an incredible selection of books, gifts, toys, and games in such a great position in the Crossgates Mall. We will have the friendliest rivalry with our Colonie bookstore and look forward to widening readership still further in the Albany area."

Customers can discover more about upcoming events and news by following @bncrossgates on social media.

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