On Wednesday, Barnes & Noble opened a prototype store at the Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, N.J., the North Jersey Record reported. The store replaces an older B&N store in the mall and will hold grand opening events this weekend.
Citing the popularity of the original store, Carl Hauch, the B&N's v-p of stores, told the paper, "This is a proven market for us. There's a great community of book lovers, and it's a community we wanted to stay in."
He also noted the attraction of the mall's multi-year makeover, which is in its third and final phase. "As the mall was looking to redevelop, we wanted to continue to be in the community for years and years to come," Hauch added.
Among features of the new Hackensack store:
Reconfigured space. Store manager Sean Sabini told the paper that the old store, which he also managed, had "a lot of space dedicated to categories that were really popular in the years before," particularly music, that have shrunk substantially. Other categories, like space dedicated to "kids and play areas and story times," has been increased. There are now two spaces for children to read and play, including a children's section with a Lego activity table enclosed in a "jungle gym" display feature.
There is no longer a customer service counter in the center of the store. "Now customers have the option to find titles on their own at a self-serve kiosk or be assisted by employees equipped with tablets on the floor," the paper noted.
There are "two '360-degree 'book theaters' at each entrance, lower-profile bookshelves, and illuminated bookcases and displays," the paper continued. "The store still offers a large cafe with tables nearby, a lounge area and a 700-square-foot flexible event space in the middle of the store."
The new store is 19,000 square feet, larger than B&N's target range for prototype stores. The company had said during its first-quarter results conference call in September that its newest prototype stores are between 10,000 to 14,000 square feet, and some might be as small as 8,000 to 10,000 square feet.