Barnes & Noble to Open New Ontario Mills Location
The bookstore chain will launch a 23,000-square-foot shop at the Ontario Mills mall on October 21, 2026.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Retail
Live Poll
Is having a full-service bookstore important for your local community's cultural experience?
Barnes & Noble is set to debut its newest location at the Ontario Mills mall on October 21, 2026. Author Susan Straight will preside over the grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony and book signing at 10 a.m.
Why it matters
The opening represents a significant retail expansion for Barnes & Noble as part of its strategy to launch 60 new stores in 2026. The company is also moving to modernize its brand by implementing new store layouts in both incoming and existing locations.
The new Ontario Mills store spans 23,000 square feet and will employ 25 people. This launch follows the 30-year operational history of the Ontario Mills mall, which originally opened in November 1996.
The players
Barnes & Noble
This American bookseller is one of the largest retail bookstore chains in the country.
Susan Straight
She is a notable author based in Riverside, California, who will host the inaugural ribbon-cutting event.
Olivia Munguia
She is the store manager for the new Ontario location.
The details
Replacing the former Sam Ash Music space, the store features a modern design with modular bookcases instead of traditional long rows of shelves. Customers will find a diverse inventory including vinyl records, toys, and specific genre sections labeled at the top of these new fixtures.
Timeline
November 1996: Ontario Mills mall opened to the public.
October 21, 2026: The new Barnes & Noble store officially opens.
October 21, 2026, 10 a.m.: The ribbon-cutting and book signing ceremony takes place.
Market Landscape
The opening aligns with the company's broader 2026 store expansion strategy to reinvigorate the physical bookstore experience. This move positions the retailer to compete in high-traffic shopping centers while shifting away from legacy shelving toward more curated, modular display formats.
Residents can access a new selection of books, vinyl records, and toys starting October 21. The new layout aims to improve discoverability for shoppers looking for specific genres like Manga or Science Fiction through better-labeled, modular shelving.
The takeaway
The store signifies a shift in how major retailers are redesigning physical spaces to be more accessible for modern readers. Visitors to the new Ontario Mills location can expect a more navigable layout that moves away from the traditional, dense library-style shelving of the past.
Further reading
For more on local shopping developments, see our Retail section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Daily Bulletin.
Live Poll
Is having a full-service bookstore important for your local community's cultural experience?
