Barnes & Noble plans to open 60 stores this year as part of its neighborhood-bookshop strategy

Turning the page… After being on the brink of bankruptcy six years ago, Barnes & Noble is again a bestseller. The bookstore icon plans to open 60 new US stores this year. Recall: B&N shifted its strategy to one closer resembling that of indie shops after being scooped up by hedge fund Elliott Management in 2019. It meant leaving stocking and display choices up to individual stores and investing in browsing-friendly renovations like more book space. Since the acquisition, foot traffic to B&N is up 7%.

• Self-help: With more than 600 stores in the US, the retailer is slowly building its collection back toward its 2008 peak of 726 locations.

• Current affairs: B&N’s success comes as several big US retailers buckle. Last month The Container Store filed for bankruptcy, Big Lots said it would close many of its stores, and Party City said it was shuttering entirely.

Reading into it… Last year, US book sales rose 7%+ through October, eclipsing $12B. Print still reigns supreme, reaching $846M in October sales (10x what e-books earned). The romantasy genre (imagine “Lord of the Rings,” only sexier) has been a major boon to the industry, and a fresh entry from star author Rebecca Yarros is set to drop this month. It’s already made bestseller charts on preorders.