Barnes & Noble To Close More Stores: Would You Miss It?

Do you go to the Barnes & Noble bookstores nearby, such as South Center or Northgate?

Apparently not enough people go to B&Ns nationwide, which may be good news for smaller independently owned bookstores such as Old Renton Book Exchange in Renton.

Company executives told the Wall Street Journal they plan to close 20 stores a year over the next decade.

No specific stores have been targeted yet for closure.

If no new stores were opened, that would reduce the number of Barnes & Noble stores nationwide by a third, the Huffington Post reported.

Since 2003, the company has been closing 15 stores a year, but they've also been opening more than 30 a year.

Last year, however, Barnes & Noble closed 14 stores and didn't open any, the Huffington Post reported.

One reason is a steady decline in book sales. Print book sales have decreased 22 percent over the past five years, according to Nielsen BookScan.

If the nearby Barnes & Noble closed, would you miss it? How can bookstores compete more effectively in this electronic age? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.