Barnes & Noble to open at Tucson Mall

Barnes & Noble will open its new store at Tucson Mall next week.

It is in the space formerly occupied by The Children’s Place next to Vans, near H&M at 4500 N. Oracle Road.

Doors open Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 11 a.m.

“The ongoing growth in book sales as a whole — and particularly for Barnes & Noble — allows us to open new bookstores at a pace we have not achieved in decades,” said CEO James Daunt. “Now we open beautiful bookstores of all sizes, including this one, our third in Tucson.”


The bookseller is experiencing strong sales in its existing stores and has been opening many new stores after more than 15 years of declining store numbers.

In 2023, Barnes & Noble opened more new bookstores in a single year than it had in the whole decade from 2009 to 2019.

The company expects to open over 50 new bookstores in 2024.


The bookstore’s other Tucson locations are 5130 E. Broadway and 7325 N. La Cholla Blvd.


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“I am very excited to start the next chapter of bookselling with the opening of the newest Barnes & Noble in Tucson,” said Store Manager Jaime Cross, Barnes & Noble bookseller of 25 years. “Regular customers … will recognize several friendly faces here in their new Tucson Mall Barnes & Noble and we cannot wait to welcome people into this brand-new location.”

In addition to the bookstore, Tucson Mall will welcome new tenant Curacao, an electronics department store that is moving from an Aztec-style building on the city’s south side.

Curacao will occupy the former Forever 21 two-story space, which is undergoing renovations. An opening date has not yet been announced.

The mall does not share its occupancy rate, but Senior General Manager Jeff Berger said Tucson Mall’s occupancy “remains strong.”

“We continue to receive strong interest in Tucson Mall and are working with several exciting retailers and restaurants,” he said, though he declined to identify other future tenants, saying, “we will be happy to announce at the appropriate time.”

The north-side mall has also added tenants that offer experiences in the last several years including a tattoo shop and an escape room venue. It's also home to Arizona Rose Theatre and Catalyst, a nonprofit community space operated by the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance.