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- Barnes & Noble, Inc.
About Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest retail bookseller in the United States. The company sells print books, eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, toys, games, gifts, stationery, collectibles, music, movies, café products, NOOK digital products, and other merchandise through physical bookstores and BN.com. Barnes & Noble also operates related businesses including NOOK, SparkNotes, Paper Source, and other publishing and specialty-retail operations.
Barnes & Noble traces its modern history to 1971, when bookseller Leonard Riggio acquired the Barnes & Noble trade name and bookstore in New York City. The company is currently privately held and owned through a holding structure controlled by funds advised by Elliott Advisors (UK) Limited.
Barnes & Noble is led by Chief Executive Officer James Daunt. The company has undergone a significant physical-store expansion in recent years. As of September 2026, Barnes & Noble reported more than 720 bookstores, up from fewer than 600 stores as recently as 2023.
Quick Information
Corporate Phone Number
Barnes & Noble does not prominently publish a single public corporate switchboard on its current consumer Contact Us page.
For Customer Service
1-800-843-2665
Also written as:
1-800-THE-BOOK.
Customer Service Number
1-800-843-2665
Current published phone-support hours
Every day: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM ET.
Corporate Office Address
Barnes & Noble’s official FAQ identifies its Home Office and flagship location at:
33 E. 17th Street
New York, NY 10003
United States.
Additional Corporate / Vendor Address
Current Barnes & Noble vendor-compliance materials use:
Barnes & Noble, Inc.
122 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
United States.
Headquarters Address
For the main public-facing company headquarters information:
Barnes & Noble, Inc.
33 E. 17th Street
New York, NY 10003
United States.
General Corporate: bninc@bn.com
Barnes & Noble’s corporate FAQ invites general company questions through this email.
Industry
Bookselling, Retail, E-Commerce, Digital Books, Audiobooks, Publishing, Gifts, Toys, Games and Specialty Retail
Founded
1971
Founder
Leonard Riggio
Barnes & Noble identifies 1971 as the year Riggio acquired the Barnes & Noble trade name and bookstore.
Current CEO
James Daunt.
Ownership
Barnes & Noble is privately held.Its holding company is controlled by funds advised by:
Elliott Advisors (UK) Limited.
Number of Bookstores
As of September 2026:
720+ Barnes & Noble bookstores.
Paper Source Stores
A June 2026 corporate announcement reported:
107 Paper Source stores
within the broader Waterstones Barnes & Noble holding company.
Number of Employees
Barnes & Noble’s public FAQ previously reported approximately:
900 Home Office employees
and:
19,000 store employees
as of 2022.
Because the store base has expanded substantially since then, these figures should be treated as historical scale indicators rather than a precise 2026 workforce count.
Corporate Office Hours
Barnes & Noble does not publish standard public walk-in hours for corporate headquarters.
Customer phone support is currently available every day from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM ET.
Website
Corporate Website
https://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/
Careers Page
https://careers.barnesandnoble.com/
Investor Relations
Not applicable in the traditional public-company sense.
Barnes & Noble is privately held.
Barnes & Noble Products & Services
Barnes & Noble combines physical bookselling with digital reading, audiobooks, membership benefits, online ordering, store pickup, publishing tools, gifts, toys, games, and specialty retail.
Print Books
Barnes & Noble sells books across fiction, nonfiction, children’s literature, biography, history, business, science, romance, fantasy, manga, graphic novels, cookbooks, education, and many other categories.
Local booksellers increasingly have more authority to tailor store inventory to their communities.
Hardcover Books
Customers can purchase new hardcover releases, bestsellers, classics, collector editions, and Barnes & Noble exclusive editions.
Selected titles receive promotional pricing and membership benefits.
Paperback Books
Barnes & Noble carries mass-market and trade paperback books across major publishing categories.
Stores also maintain significant backlist selections based on local bookseller recommendations.
Children’s Books
The company sells picture books, middle-grade fiction, young-adult books, educational materials, activity books, and children’s classics.
Many stores also host children’s story times and special events.
Manga and Graphic Novels
Barnes & Noble carries manga, comics, graphic novels, and collectible editions.These categories have become significant components of many remodeled and newly opened bookstores.
Barnes & Noble Exclusive Editions
Barnes & Noble works with publishers on special editions that may include exclusive covers, sprayed edges, bonus material, illustrations, signatures, or other retailer-specific features.
eBooks
Barnes & Noble’s NOOK business sells digital books for compatible devices and apps.Customers can purchase and manage eBooks through their Barnes & Noble and NOOK accounts.
NOOK Devices
NOOK includes digital reading devices and associated digital content.Barnes & Noble continues to promote NOOK hardware alongside its eBook platform.
Audiobooks
Barnes & Noble offers digital audiobooks as part of its NOOK digital business.The company also operates a B&N Audiobooks subscription service.
BN.com
BN.com is Barnes & Noble’s e-commerce website.
In June 2026, the company transitioned BN.com to the Shopify platform, aiming to improve speed, reliability, recommendations, and store-pickup functionality.
Reserve Online and Pick Up In Store
Customers can shop online and reserve qualifying products for pickup at a Barnes & Noble bookstore.
The company describes store pickup as an important connection between its growing online operation and physical-store network.
Barnes & Noble Premium Membership
Premium Membership is the company’s paid loyalty tier.
Current benefits include approximately 10% off most purchases in stores and online, free shipping, café drink upgrades, a yearly tote, special offers, and access to B&N Rewards.
B&N Rewards
B&N Rewards is a free rewards program.
Members earn qualifying rewards based on purchases, and it can also be combined with Premium Membership.
Gift Cards
Barnes & Noble sells physical and digital gift cards.
Current gift-card balance support is available at:
1-800-295-3029.
Barnes & Noble Mastercard
Barnes & Noble offers a co-branded Mastercard issued and supported by Barclays.
Current card Customer Service:
866-896-5547.
Toys
Stores sell educational toys, children’s products, building sets, puzzles, crafts, and other toys.
Product mix differs based on store size and local merchandising.
Games
Barnes & Noble sells board games, card games, strategy games, party games, role-playing products, and puzzles.
Some stores feature dedicated game departments and events.
Gifts
Gift merchandise includes literary gifts, home décor, stationery, accessories, collectibles, journals, candles, and seasonal products.
Stationery
Barnes & Noble offers notebooks, journals, planners, writing supplies, greeting cards, and premium paper products.
Its broader retail group also includes Paper Source and, as of September 2026, Levenger, a premium writing and stationery business.
Levenger
Barnes & Noble announced its acquisition of Levenger on September 19, 2026.
Levenger sells premium writing instruments, paper, stationery, leather goods, desk accessories, furniture, and the Circa discbound notebook system.
Paper Source
Paper Source is Barnes & Noble’s stationery and gift retail business.
The broader holding company reported 107 Paper Source stores in June 2026.
SparkNotes
SparkNotes provides study guides, literary analysis, summaries, and educational resources.
Barnes & Noble operates SparkNotes as part of its broader digital and educational business.
B&N Press
B&N Press allows independent authors and publishers to self-publish print and digital books.
It forms part of Barnes & Noble’s author and publishing ecosystem.
Café
Many larger Barnes & Noble stores contain cafés.
Food and drink options vary by location, and remodeled stores may include updated café formats.
Author Events
Barnes & Noble hosts author signings, talks, book launches, story times, and community events.
New-store openings frequently include author-led ribbon cuttings and book-signing events.
Local Store Programming
Barnes & Noble’s recent strategy gives local booksellers greater control over assortment, merchandising, recommendations, and community engagement.
The company attributes much of its recent store growth to this locally driven bookselling approach.
Barnes & Noble Corporate Phone Numbers
Customer Service Number
1-800-843-2665
Also:
1-800-THE-BOOK.
Customer Service Hours
Every day: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM ET.
International Customer Number
1-201-559-3882.
Corporate Office Number
Barnes & Noble does not prominently publish a separate universal corporate switchboard on its current Help Center.
For consumer matters, use:
1-800-843-2665
Order Support Number
1-800-843-2665
Phone support is currently available for order placement and payment updates.
Payment Support Number
1-800-843-2665
Gift Card Balance Number
1-800-295-3029.
Barnes & Noble Mastercard Applications
866-520-8192.
Barnes & Noble Mastercard Customer Service
866-896-5547.
Privacy Data Rights Number
Barnes & Noble’s general phone-support process handles Privacy Data Rights requests through its Contact Us system.
A California privacy-request number previously published by Barnes & Noble is:
877-476-8054.
Membership Support
Barnes & Noble routes Membership support through its Help Center, chat, email, and general support process.
Customer Service:
1-800-843-2665
NOOK Support
NOOK questions are handled through Barnes & Noble’s online Help Center and digital-support channels.
Chat Support
Barnes & Noble currently provides:
24-hour chat support.
General Corporate Email
bninc@bn.com.
Media Contact
Current Barnes & Noble corporate releases identify:
Debb Hanks
Phone: 646-592-2048
Email: dhanks@bn.com.
Investor Relations Number
Not applicable.
Barnes & Noble is privately held.
Human Resources Number
Barnes & Noble does not prominently publish a single universal applicant HR phone number.
Careers:
https://careers.barnesandnoble.com/
Local Store Number
Each Barnes & Noble bookstore has its own local phone number.
Store locator:
https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/
How to Reach a Real Person at Barnes & Noble
For orders and payment-related issues, call 1-800-843-2665 from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM ET daily. Barnes & Noble also provides 24-hour chat support and an online email request system. Have your order number, account email, Membership details, item information, and payment details available where relevant.
For a complaint involving a specific bookstore, contact that store directly and ask for the Store Manager. Local stores are normally better positioned to resolve in-store purchases, employee interactions, pickup orders, event issues, or merchandise concerns. If the issue cannot be resolved locally, escalate through Barnes & Noble Customer Service.
Barnes & Noble Headquarters & Corporate Office Address
Barnes & Noble’s official corporate FAQ identifies its Home Office and flagship bookstore at:
Barnes & Noble, Inc.
33 E. 17th Street
New York, NY 10003
United States.
New York Home Office
33 E. 17th Street
New York, NY 10003
Barnes & Noble’s public company FAQ identifies this location as its Home Office and flagship store.
Additional Current Corporate Address
Barnes & Noble’s current vendor and product compliance documents also use:
122 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
for specific corporate and vendor departments.
Current CEO
James Daunt
Daunt also leads Waterstones and oversees Barnes & Noble’s continuing store expansion and locally focused bookselling strategy.
Current Ownership
Barnes & Noble is privately held through:
Waterstones Barnes & Noble Ltd.
The holding company is owned by funds advised by:
Elliott Advisors (UK) Limited.
Current Store Scale
As of September 2026:
720+ Barnes & Noble bookstores
in the United States.
Recent Expansion
Barnes & Noble had fewer than:
600 stores in 2023
but has grown to more than 720 stores through a rapid program of openings and relocations.
2026 New Store Plan
Earlier in 2026, Barnes & Noble stated that it was working toward opening:
60 new stores during 2026.
Paper Source
The Barnes & Noble group reported:
107 Paper Source stores
as of June 2026.
Waterstones Barnes & Noble Group
The broader holding group also includes:
Waterstones
with approximately:
320 bookshops across the United Kingdom and Europe
as reported in June 2026.
Levenger Acquisition
Barnes & Noble acquired:
Levenger
on:
September 19, 2026.
Joseph-Beth Agreement
On September 15, 2026, Barnes & Noble announced an agreement to acquire two Joseph-Beth Booksellers locations while preserving the Joseph-Beth identity.
International Store Presence
Barnes & Noble itself currently operates physical bookstores only in:
United States
although international customers can shop through BN.com.
Stock Listing
Not applicable.
Barnes & Noble is privately held and no longer trades as an independent public company.
How to File a Complaint Against Barnes & Noble
Customers may file complaints involving online orders, refunds, damaged books, store employees, Memberships, gift cards, digital purchases, NOOK, store pickup, payment issues, or another Barnes & Noble service. Keep your order number, receipt, store location, account email, Membership details, and previous correspondence before escalating.
Step 1: Contact the Store or Customer Service
For an in-store complaint, speak with the Store Manager at the bookstore involved. For online purchases, payments, Memberships, or general support, call 1-800-843-2665 or use Barnes & Noble’s chat or email support. Provide the order number, purchase date, product information, and a clear explanation of the problem.
Step 2: Use the Appropriate Specialized Support Channel
Gift-card balance concerns can use 1-800-295-3029, while Barnes & Noble Mastercard questions should use Barclays Customer Service at 866-896-5547. NOOK, membership, shipping, return, and account issues can be handled through the Barnes & Noble Help Center. Using the correct category can speed up resolution.
Step 3: Request Further Customer Service Review
If the first response does not resolve the complaint, contact Customer Service again and request further review. Provide any prior case information, screenshots, receipts, tracking details, and correspondence. For a store issue, explain whether you already spoke with the Store Manager and what resolution was offered.
Step 4: Send Formal Written Correspondence
For serious unresolved corporate complaints, written correspondence can be sent to Barnes & Noble, Inc., 33 E. 17th Street, New York, NY 10003. Depending on the department involved, 122 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011 is also used in current corporate vendor materials. Include copies rather than original records and clearly state the requested resolution.
Step 5: Use the Appropriate External Complaint Process
If the dispute remains unresolved, payment-card issues may be raised with the card issuer, privacy complaints may involve the applicable state privacy regulator or Attorney General, and general consumer complaints can be filed with the relevant state consumer-protection authority. Keep receipts, order records, screenshots, Customer Service responses, and any proof of return or delivery before escalating.
