You may have heard that the new Barnes & Noble location opening in Eastchester’s Vernon Hills Shopping Center this October won’t just be selling books and coffee, but will also offer a full-service restaurant and other amenities. In fact, it’s one of only four planned concept stores B&N is launching across the country this fall, along with outposts in Edina, MN, Folson, CA, and Loudoun County, VA. So you may be wondering, why did the retailer choose Eastchester?
“There used to be a Borders at that location, and the community misses a bookstore,” explains Jaime Carey, President of Development & Restaurant Group at Barnes & Noble, Inc., and he’s happy to report that, thus far, the project “has been well-supported by the community and has received a wonderful reaction, even during the planning phases.”
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The proposed dining areaAccording to a presentation given during Barnes & Noble’s recent fourth-quarter investor conference by Jaime Carey, the company’s President of Development and Restaurant Group, the concept stores are meant to be “community spaces for customers to learn, discover, and grow.”
So, what can customers expect? In addition to the restaurants (and the books, obviously), there will be outdoor spaces with a bocce court and fire pit, expanded seating, and open spaces for in-store events—all things B&N is banking on providing a unique experience compared to primarily online competition like Amazon.
“As a bookseller, Barnes & Noble always has an interest in exploring new and exciting ways to enhance the in-store experience for customers,” Sanchez insists. “The idea behind the new store concept is a direct result of that.”
Psyched for the return of a big-box, brick-and-mortar book store in the area, or skeptical it’ll be a tad too trendy? Sound off in the comments below.
