SAUGUS — It’s the end of an era for North Shore book lovers who grew up going to Barnes & Noble in Saugus.
The bookstore, located in the Staples Plaza on the northbound side of Route 1, will be closing next month after 25 years.
“We can confirm that we are closing our bookstore in Saugus,” said Amelia Mulinder, head of public relations for the company. “We have truly enjoyed serving our customers from this location and appreciate their loyalty and support. Unfortunately, the landlord, Black Creek Group, is redeveloping this site and has opted not to renew our lease.”
Black Creek Group, a Denver, Colo.-based real estate investment management firm, has leased more than 67,000 square feet of retail space in the plaza. Other tenants include Staples, Five Below and Chipotle, but those will remain open. Barnes & Noble had been leasing the largest space in the plaza at nearly 27,000 square feet.
Customers have been disheartened to hear the news.
“The Saugus store has been a staple for me and my mom since I was little,” said Medford resident Amanda Stone, who grew up in Malden. “The people that work there — especially in the café — have always been the sweetest. It will definitely be a loss to the whole area if a new location isn’t found. Not only is it jobs for those folks who have worked there for years, but it’s a nice, calm place to study, shop and read.”
The company is hopeful it will be able to reopen another Saugus location soon. The current bookstore is scheduled to close its doors on Jan. 23. Anyone with suggestions for available space is encouraged to email [email protected] with “Saugus” in the subject line.
“We are doing everything we can to find a new location in the area,” said Mulinder. “We want to thank our wonderful Saugus booksellers, and we hope to welcome them back when we secure a new location.”
Barnes & Noble, which opened its flagship store in Manhattan in 1971, has more than 600 bookstores across the U.S. Other Massachusetts locations include Bellingham, Boston, Braintree, Burlington, Hadley, Hingham, Holyoke, Hyannis, Framingham, Leominster, Millbury, North Dartmouth, Peabody and Walpole. The Braintree store was due to close in February 2020 after 26 years, but reached a last-minute lease agreement with its landlord.
