Barnes & Noble plans to open a store at Eastgate Pavilion in April 2027, taking over the space formerly occupied by Grocery Outlet at 650 Eastgate South Drive near Eastgate Mall. The bookseller's listing marks the latest sign that the national chain is still on a growth tear even as other retailers pull back from brick-and-mortar space.
According to WKRC, the Eastgate Pavilion location is listed for an April 2027 opening, with Barnes & Noble moving into the footprint Grocery Outlet vacated in the Clermont County shopping center. The station's report does not specify an exact opening date beyond the month, nor does it detail the store's size, layout or amenities.
Grocery Outlet had only recently arrived at that same Eastgate South Drive address itself. The discount grocer opened what was described as its second Ohio location and first Tri-State store there, according to local12.com, which reported the chain took over a 23,000-square-foot building that had previously housed a Bed Bath & Beyond. It is not established whether that square footage will carry over to the incoming bookstore, and the reason Grocery Outlet left the space has not been verified.
Part of a Broader Ohio Expansion
The Eastgate plan fits a pattern Barnes & Noble has followed across the Cincinnati region and the state more broadly. The company's Hamilton store, which opened in a former Staples space at 3339 Princeton Road, was described as the bookseller's third addition to the region in four years and as a reversal of the broader trend of bookstore closures, per the same local outlet's coverage of that opening. That 16,000-square-foot Hamilton store includes space for books, toys, games, magazines, gift items and a B & N Cafe, the report noted.
Barnes & Noble has been opening stores at a rapid clip statewide and nationally. The chain opened an 18,000-square-foot store in Aurora, Ohio, in the former Party City space at Marketplace at Four Corners in May, according to a Barnes & Noble press release. That same release said the company opened more than 60 stores in 2025 and was on track to do the same in 2026, pushing its total past 700 bookstores nationwide.
Earlier in the year, Barnes & Noble opened a 26,000-square-foot store in Strongsville in the former Bed Bath & Beyond space at The Plaza at Southpark, as reported by cleveland.com. That outlet noted the Strongsville opening marked the fourth Barnes & Noble store to open in Ohio over the prior 12 months, following locations in Columbus, Canton and Hamilton.
A National Growth Streak
The Eastgate Pavilion plan also lines up with Barnes & Noble's broader national comeback. Per USA Today, the bookseller had opened about 28 stores across 15 states and Washington, D.C., since the start of 2026, growing its national footprint to more than 720 locations. The outlet reported the company had not yet released a list of future store locations but said it planned to keep opening new stores through the end of the year.
For Clermont County shoppers, the practical details of the Eastgate store remain unconfirmed. The square footage, staffing, construction timeline and any permitting status for the location have not been verified, and Barnes & Noble has not issued a statement specifically confirming the Eastgate address beyond its appearance in the store listing cited by WKRC. Those answers will likely come into focus as the April 2027 target date approaches.
