Barnes & Noble has made a recent shift in its aesthetics, and many customers aren’t happy about it. An Orlando college student, for one, found a store that survived the impact of remodels and said he was “almost brought to tears” in a TikTok that has more than 7.8 million views.
Zach (@zachtose_intiktokerance) added that the store “had a cafe and everything,” pointing toward locations that have since removed their additional amenities and stripped down to more minimalistic sales approaches.
People miss the old Barnes & Noble
Many people have noticed Barnes & Noble’s shift away from its previous look, reflecting modern aesthetics taken on by companies like Target. Consumers, however, are asking for the nostalgic energy they once got from the brand’s older design. As many people pointed out, the remodeled Barnes & Noble stores now look like they “belong in an airport.”
“Way to remove the soul,” one commenter said on another video highlighting the changes. In a remodeled store, books are stacked on taller, more modular shelves that, to some viewers, feel less welcoming. TikTok users also criticized the lighting, expressing that the harsher atmosphere and lack of artwork made the store feel devoid of personality.
Almost zero commenters expressed disagreement with the idea that the new Barnes & Noble designs aren’t exactly user-friendly or homey, although they only reflect online discourses.
So what gives? Why did Barnes & Noble remodel in the first place?
Over the last couple of years, Barnes & Noble has made a lot of changes, partially because of its CEO, James Daunt, who acquired the company in 2019.
One of the changes brought toward the company included remodels that swept up multiple Barnes & Noble locations across the country, very quickly changing a regular store to a bland and “unnavigable” place. Customers have a difficult time making their way through the store or finding basic sections due to the inhospitable mapping and UX design.
Erin Donehoo published a Medium article that critiqued the “sterile” and “cold” changes in 2023 as well as the lack of navigability, saying, “You’ll probably see the trend that I noticed when I first visited the new store: customers have no direction on where to find what they’re looking for… When the purpose of a store is to allow customers to find relevant sections of interest, this is a pretty egregious UX offense… And unlike online spaces, retail storefronts can’t offer customers a handy search bar, or a well organized map in the form of a navigation menu.”
A New Era
Barnes & Noble opened nearly 120 stores between 2024 and 2025, marking a new era for the business. The company has leaned into social media and local consumer engagement as part of its practices, creating #BookTok shelves to display popular titles that might catch the eyes of Gen Z readers. CEO James Daunt said in an interview with PBS that the company survived its most difficult years because it offered customers an “experience,” which is something they have cultivated in recent years.
For many readers, though, part of that experience is how the bookstore looks and feels. Ambiance is a central component for bookstores, often making or breaking a store’s ability to become a “third space.”
Barnes & Noble has not released information on whether the remodels are popular with a silent majority or if they are hurting business, instead referring to these new store designs as “highly lauded” in press releases. Regardless, millions of people online appear to agree that the company may have misstepped by moving too far toward a modern aesthetic.
The Mary Sue has reached out to Barnes & Noble’s press team via email for more information. We’ve also sent a TikTok direct message to Zach.
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