Barnes & Noble will open a new store prototype at the The Village of Rochester Hills Wednesday in Rochester Hills, MI. The launch is part of the company's "ongoing testing of new stores across the country."
About half to a third the size of B&N's big box bookstores, the 14,000 square foot store will feature a more spacious design with lower bookshelves, more cover-out book displays, and plenty of non-book merchandise such as bottled water, vinyl records, notebooks, board games, and Lego sets.
There will also be two large "book theaters" where customers can discover books in a 360 degree experience. "This new prototype will offer a clean, contemporary design that is easy to shop and friendly to our customers. It will feature a full assortment of books at its core, with an amazing selection of educational toys and games, family games and puzzles and curated gift items for avid readers," said Frank Morabito, Vice President, Stores, Barnes & Noble.
This location is B&N's tenth new prototype store, and the first in Michigan.
Another, smaller, prototype store will open near me later this year.
Wait, you mean they are opening a new store in the DC area?
In Fairfax:
https://the-digital-reader.com/2018/11/14/barnes-noble-to-open-8630-square-foot-store-in-fairfax-virginia/
Wow, that ceiling. Or lack of ceiling. It’s like a warehouse store that can’t make up its mind. The acoustics are going to be terrible.
This particular photo looks a lot like a Crown Books interior.