Barnes & Noble to close San Bruno store, one of the last in Bay Area

The bookstore chain's location at the Shops at Tanforan mall will shut down after over 20 years in business.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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One of the last remaining Barnes & Noble bookstores in the Bay Area, located inside the Shops at Tanforan mall in San Bruno, is set to close on May 2 after over two decades in operation. The closure comes as the mall's owner, Alexandria Real Estate, plans to redevelop the 44-acre property into 2 million square feet of office space and at least 1,000 homes.

Why it matters

The closure of the San Bruno Barnes & Noble is another sign of the 'retail apocalypse' that has hit malls and brick-and-mortar bookstores across the country, exacerbated by the pandemic and the shift to online shopping. While Barnes & Noble has seen a recent turnaround, opening 60 new stores in 2024, the loss of this location is a blow to the Bay Area's dwindling number of physical bookstores.

The details

The San Bruno Barnes & Noble store, which has been a part of the Shops at Tanforan mall for the last 20 years, will close on May 2 as its lease has ended. The mall's owner, Alexandria Real Estate, purchased the 44-acre property in 2022 for $328 million and plans to redevelop it into 2 million square feet of office space and at least 1,000 homes, citing the 'retail apocalypse' and the pandemic's impact on in-person shopping.

  • The San Bruno Barnes & Noble store will close on May 2, 2026.
  • Alexandria Real Estate purchased the Shops at Tanforan mall property in 2022 for $328 million.
  • Construction on the redevelopment of the mall is slated to kick off in 2027.

The players

Barnes & Noble

A major American bookstore chain that was founded in 1873 and is one of the largest bookstore chains in the U.S.

Alexandria Real Estate

A Pasadena-based real estate firm that purchased the 44-acre Shops at Tanforan mall property in San Bruno for $328 million in 2022 with plans to redevelop it into office space and housing.

Jovan Grogan

The city manager of San Bruno, who attributed the mall's slow death to the 'retail apocalypse' and the shift to online shopping.

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What they’re saying

“It is jarring and threatening to indies that are trying to communicate to their customer base, 'This is what it looks like to support independent bookstores.' You have Barnes & Noble looking like an indie — for the less informed customer, as far as they know, they are supporting a neighborhood bookstore, not a national chain.”

— Hannah Walcher, Executive director of the California Independent Booksellers Alliance (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The official closure date of the Shops at Tanforan mall has not yet been announced, but construction on the redevelopment project is slated to begin in 2027.

The takeaway

The closure of the San Bruno Barnes & Noble is a symbolic loss for the Bay Area's dwindling number of physical bookstores, as the rise of e-commerce and the 'retail apocalypse' continue to reshape the local retail landscape. While Barnes & Noble has seen a recent turnaround, the fate of this location highlights the challenges facing traditional brick-and-mortar booksellers.