WAYNE, NJ — After months of waiting, Wayne Township's newest Barnes & Noble has announced an opening date.
The newest location is situated at 1308 Route 23 in Wayne, formerly the space of Gary's Wine & Marketplace.
The official opening date will be Nov. 18, with customers being invited in at 9 p.m.
To celebrate the store's opening, local author Kristine Lombardi will be cutting the ribbon and signing copies of her beloved book, Crouton: One Cat's Adoption Tale. Additionally, iconic children's book character "Arthur" will be there to greet young readers.
"Opening a new store gives the team the opportunity to tailor the store to the wants and needs of your community," said Store Manager Richard Oswald, who has been a bookseller with Barnes and Noble for the last 10 years. "We are very proud of what we have created and look forward to introducing this new Barnes & Noble to the community in Wayne, NJ."
Visitors to the new Wayne Barnes & Noble during the grand opening will have access to several exclusive deals, including $50 off any NOOK device and saving 40 percent on all DVD, Blu-ray, and 4k Ultra HD movies, representatives said.
The new Barnes & Noble offers an extensive 22,000 square feet of curated books, and a large selection of toys, games, magazines, vinyl, DVD's, stationery, and more. The store also features a Barnes & Noble Café.
The store's opening marks the third location in Passaic County, following spots in Clifton Commons and Woodland Park. It comes after a massive comeback from what is now the largest retail bookseller in the United States.
Barnes & Noble, founded in 1873, now operates more than 740 stores nationwide, 60 of which were opened just this year. In addition to an array of books, the store sells toys, games, music, and more.
Just a few years ago, the chain bookstore had fewer than 600 stores nationwide as discussions of bankruptcy were held. Barnes & Noble credits its remarkable comeback to "accelerating its strategy to empower local bookselling teams to curate their own store."
"Over the last 5 years, Barnes & Noble has had extraordinary success with opening new stores in place of older stores across North New Jersey," said James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. "In Paramus, Union, Ledgewood and Livingston we were forced to close stores, happily now all reopened in new and dramatically more successful locations. Now our booksellers break new ground, opening for the first time a major bookstore in Wayne. We are delighted to expand our presence in New Jersey."
Click here to learn more about Barnes & Noble in Wayne.
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