Barnes & Noble West Kendall Announces Closing Date, but a New Store Is Coming Soon

It's the end of a chapter, but not the whole story. Barnes & Noble West Kendall, a neighborhood institution, has announced its official closing date, coming later this fall.

"After more than 30 years, we’re turning the final page on a place that’s been a part of so many lives," read a statement posted on the store's Instagram page on Monday. The store will close for good on Wednesday, September 24, and a Rooms to Go furniture store will take its place.

It's distressing news for Southwest Dade bookworms, as Sunset Place, home to another massive Barnes & Noble bookstore, will be razed early next year to make way for a new retail village development. Though no formal plans have been announced for Barnes & Noble South Miami yet, many fear the mall anchor store will close alongside its surrounding empty shops.

Community tributes to the West Kendall shop poured in on the store's announcement post. Many remembered visiting the store as teenagers, studying for exams there, and watching their children grow up within its walls.

"The final chapter in the Michael’s + Barnes and Noble combo experience 😩💕 what an era," wrote one user.

"I grew up here and then my children grew up there," wrote another. "It's so sad to see so many memories gone forever. You will be missed."

The Miami store closures run counter to the company's general trend in recent years. Though Barnes & Noble struggled to compete against online retailers (namely, Amazon) in the aughts and 2010s, it's become a rare brick-and-mortar retail comeback story, with more than 60 new stores set to open across the U.S. this year.

Fortunately, that list includes a new Barnes & Noble bookstore opening at the Palms at Town & Country shopping center in October. Don't expect it to completely fill the gaping hole left by the West Kendall location — the new shop is expected to be 20,000 square feet smaller.

If you're looking to stock your home library before the West Kendall location closes, the store has also announced its going-out-of-business deals. Customers can help clean out the store with 25 percent off all books (including hardcovers and box sets), toys, games (excluding Lego); 50 percent off all bargain items and Book Annex (discounted) titles; 20 percent off music and media; and other deals.