New Barnes & Noble Opens In Bridgehampton Commons

BRIDGEHAMPTON, NY — It's great news for book lovers: Barnes & Noble marked the grand opening Friday of its new location on the South Fork.

The new Barnes & Noble is located in the Bridgehampton Commons, located at 2044 Montauk Highway, across from Petco and near T.J. Maxx.

The Bridgehampton store is one of three new Barnes & Noble bookstores opening this week, alongside new locations in Cincinnati, OH and Richardson, TX, for a total of 10 new Barnes & Noble bookstores opening in the past 30 days, the retailer said.

The new Bridgehampton location showcases the "highly lauded" bookstore design seen in the most recent Barnes & Noble store openings, "housing all the best books, toys, games and gifts that customers have come to expect from the nation’s premier bookseller," Barnes & Noble said in a release.

"The sheer number of new bookstores we have opened this year is cause for good cheer, and to open our Bridgehampton location during the height of holiday shopping is reason for particular celebration," said James Daunt, CEO, Barnes & Noble. "Just two years ago the nearest Barnes & Noble was over 50 miles from Bridgehampton. With the opening of our Riverhead bookstore last year, we cut that down to 25 miles. Now it is our great pleasure to bring Bridgehampton a Barnes & Noble of their own."

Barnes & Noble is enjoying a period of tremendous growth as the strategy to hand control of each bookstore to its local store team has proven successful, the chain's representatives said.

According to Barnes & Noble, the bookseller is enjoying "exceptionally strong sales" in its existing stores and has been opening many new stores after over 15 years of declining store numbers.

In 2022, Barnes & Noble opened more new bookstores in a single year than it had in the whole decade from 2009 to 2019. The bookseller has opened over 30 new bookstores in 2023 and plans to open more than 50 in 2024, representatives said.

"Opening new bookstores is one of the most exciting parts of my job," said store manager Sarah de Quillfeldt, Barnes & Noble bookseller of 12 years. "It is wonderful to get a chance to connect with the community and deliver a vibrant, local bookstore. This is a truly unique location in the Hamptons, and I am positive that our store will become an important and special place here."

The location is the second to open on the East End in recent months: The Riverhead location opened in October, 2022.