“It was my first time here, and I really appreciated the warm welcome; the customer service was excellent. I was guided to the aisle and the materials I was looking for and I got a tour of where everything was”
“Great place. They are always happy to order something they don't have in stock. I would much rather support an actual book store than purchase something on-line from the "A" place even if it might be a few $ more.”
“I had a really pleasant experience here! 📚😊 I received a book for Christmas that I already owned and had reread just a few months earlier. Thankfully, it came with a gift receipt, so I was able to return it at the Illinois location even though it had been purchased in Ellicott City, Maryland. The exchange was incredibly easy and hassle-free, and there was such a huge selection of books to choose from! 📖✨ I found a new one I really wanted, and my granddaughter was happy too because they have a fantastic toy section. 🧸🎁 Great selection and excellent customer service!”
“This place is evil! I only planned to stop in for 15 minutes, and stayed over 2 hours! I kept finding so many amazing deals, I had to put stuff back! 🤣🤣 Really enjoyed my stay!”
“After visiting a couple art studios in woodfield mall where I had to talk myself into being even mildly interested in the pieces, I discovered Jen's Art through a Google search. Every piece jumped out at me. Her work is creative and inspiring.”
“Bought there a book i was looking for, so many different books for college students and book readers, also there are so many school stationery, I bouquet a notebook 📓 made from some leather!”
“Nicole the cashier was very nice to me. I was looking for this specific pen special edition which they didn't have but she provided me with information of the pen, pen point, pen code and the email to ask the store about it as well as the website. She was very kind and respectful. I thanked her very much for helping me out.”
“Chicago Barbara Book store employee lady Sana is exceptional. Sana provided such a great Customer service that can be brilliant example of the TOP BEST Customer service in the entire globe! Her politeness, friendless, highly professional skills, attentiveness and care difficult to describe in words. Sana, thank you so much!!!”
“Great place. Very nice and knowledgeable owner. Great selection for any interest! Prices are reasonable for reality as it is now. Tidy, bright, convinient location. Big parking lot.”
“The CLC bookstore in Grayslake is considerably larger than the South Lake campus, but they still seem to have the right little bit of everything! Also like the online book ordering/pick up at the store feature too!”
“Really good polish remedies and vitamins vary widely selection. And great selection of polish books for children and adults 10/10 recommend this place ❤”
“I like this bookstore, but I wish I loved it. It needs some coziness added to it- granted, it’s hard to make that atmosphere inside of a mall. But I think it could do better at laying out bookish goods and books themselves. Also making more attractive themed displays throughout the store. Usually there is a singular table that has a theme to it, but I think additional shelves/tables with better marketing would go a long way. Another big issue is customer service. I’ve gone inside this bookstore 4-5x within the past year and I don’t recall being greeted once. I’ve literally walked around the whole place looking for a specific book and only see one lady at the desk in the middle that does not look up, no one at check out and it feels kinda eerie and doesn’t help the lack of coziness to the store. When I have needed customer service with online pre-orders there was confusion if I had already prepaid (I had, there was a manager note on the order after much looking). And the woman assisting wasn’t apologetic at all about the issue. There is also quite a bit of merch in there I don’t quite understand being in a bookstore, almost museum like pieces (for purchase I think?). The YA section had empty shelves in the middle and so did staff picks on my last visit. I don’t want to see this store go, so I hope things start to feel different on my next visit!”
“the barista, Carrie Ann in the Starbucks inside the B&N is just the best! She is so sweet and makes her guests feel welcome. Andm she makes a great cup of coffee too!”
“Very big clean store, the guy at the door was pleasant, the store looked nice, but I was there for the arcade, there was plenty of booths, and bystanders around, I felt uncomfortable as the arcade area is too bright for me, I almost felt like I was in the spotlight I feel the area should be a little less lit and have more discretion. I may go back and enjoy the booths which I went in the first place and wiped out”
Barnes & Noble is proving that physical bookstores aren't going anywhere. The retailer just opened three new locations across Texas and South Carolina, marking another step in its comeback story. Barnes & Noble opened 57 stores in 2024 alone - more than it had opened in the entire decade from 2009 to 2019. The company isn't slowing down either, with plans to open more than 60 new stores in 2025 and a goal of reaching over 1,000 stores nationwide in the coming years.
