Popular Bay Area Barnes & Noble offers steep discounts as it prepares to close
SAN BRUNO, CA - A general view of a Barnes and Noble bookstore. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
SAN BRUNO, Calif. - The Bay Area is losing a popular Barnes & Noble bookstore that has served its community for some 20 years.
The store at The Shops at Tanforan in San Bruno announced last month that its days are numbered.
What they're saying:
"It is with great sadness that we confirm the closure of our Barnes & Noble bookstore as our lease has ended," the business shared on social media, as it expressed how much it has enjoyed being a part of the community.
Steep discounts
Since the announcement, the store has been holding storewide sales of at least 40% off, with some exclusions.
Toys and other items have been discounted even further at 50% off.
We're told an overwhelming number of customers have expressed sadness over the impending closure, along with overall disappointment about the demise of malls around the Bay Area and other parts of the country.
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On Facebook, customer Wheatley Hastings commented on the news and shared her memories of the bookstore. "What a bummer. I loved that location, I spent many hours there, with college housemates and significant others… it’ll be sad to see it go," Hastings wrote.
Tanforan closing
Dig deeper:
In 2022, The Shops at Tanforan was sold to Southern California commercial developer Alexandria Real Estate.
The firm has submitted plans to redevelop the property into a transit-oriented development that would feature a biotech and life science campus. The property sits adjacent to the San Bruno BART station.
"The future uses for the site are proposed to include a 2 million square foot innovative life science campus, 1,000 housing units as well as new modernized retail space," the city of San Bruno shared on a frequently asked questions page set up to inform the community about the project, which also includes a proposed hotel.
Current tenants Target and the Century at Tanforan movie theater are expected to remain at the property. Under the plan, Target would be relocated, and the movie theater would undergo upgrades.
What we don't know:
It’s unclear when the mall will close and when construction would begin.
"At this time, the property owner has not formally communicated the anticipated date of the mall’s closure," the city said. "As the review proceeds, the City of San Bruno will share updated information about the timeline for the planned closure date for The Shops at Tanforan as it is formally provided to the City."
Meanwhile, Barnes & Noble is inviting customers to come by and take advantage of its "Last Chance Sale."
Customers in the area were also reminded that they can visit the chain’s nearby stores at Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo and its location in Burlingame.
The store's final day is set for May 2.
"We have loved being a part of this neighborhood," the store shared, "and it has been our honor and privilege to be your bookseller for the last 20 years."
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