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Business & Tech

Barnes & Noble to Close 100s of Stores

Barnes & Noble has announced it will continue downsizing its brick and mortar operations over the next decade, though there's no word on whether that will include the Allen Park and Dearborn locations.

Less than two years after losing Borders, local bookworms could be forced to bid farewell to another Hall Road giant with the possible closure of Barnes & Noble.

Facing tough online competition, Mitchell Klipper, CEO of Barnes & Noble’s retail group, told the Wall Street Journal Monday that the company plans to close at least 20 stores a year over the next 10 years.

Since the closing of the Dearborn Borders store in 2011, Barnes & Noble in Allen Park is the area's only major bookstore. Additionally, B&N operates a college bookstore at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

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The chain currently operates 689 stores nationally, as well as 684 college bookstroes.

The fate of the Dearborn and Allen Park stores remains unknown as the company has not released a list of stores slated to close.

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In the past decade, the company has closed around 15 stores annually. But up until 2012, Barnes & Noble also opened more than 30 stores a year, according to The Huffington Post.

Last year, the bookseller closed 14 stores without opening any new locations.

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

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