A popular bookstore chain is hoping to reimagine locals' perspective on the store's experience at a new location.
Barnes & Noble, which used to be at the Richland Mall, relocated and opened Shoppes at Woodhill on March 6.
The store had to make the move due its lease ending. But the new location is more personalized to Columbia and helps show the works of local authors, said Janie Flanigan, the senior director of store planning and design.
"I think you'll find that this store not only is more tailored to the community, but it has more opportunity for for showcasing those displays for their customers, too," Flanigan said.
Some of the local authors include Walter Edgar, Alan Piercy and Jim Sonefeld from Hooting & the Blowfish.
Lauren Seeger, a senior bookseller, is one of many employees who worked at the old location and has been excited for the new one. The store will help with a new traffic flow of people, and the larger size will help for people to spend a comfortable day shopping, reading or working Seeger said.
“Our old store pretty much has regulars because we're in a dead mall," Seeger said. "That was the only reason to go there, was for Barnes & Noble. But here, we get people who are like, 'I didn't even know we had a bookstore in Colombia.' So, that's been a really nice aspect of moving in an area where there's more traffic flow."
The new location is in the middle of a shopping center, along with stores such as Target, World Market and Party City, which allows the trip to Barnes & Noble to be a longer, full day activity, said customer Shannan Desoye.
"The (old) location wasn't fun," Desoye said. "There was nothing else there because it was in that dying mall. But it's always been 'Oh, let's go to Barnes & Noble.' You know that's a special little trip."
Displays filled with books stand in the new Columbia Barnes & Noble on March 11, 2024. Barnes & Noble was previously located at the Richland Mall, and the new location opened on March 6, 2024.
With the new store, Flanigan said they are hoping to fulfill a sense of nostalgia that was present in the old store as well as bring a new and comforting environment for those looking to find new books.
The new location offers a different store design, with short walls separating each section for a more open layout, Flanigan said.
“The store is designed in these rooms to take you on a journey and discovery throughout the store," Flanigan said.
The hope is that the store gives a different and new atmosphere for book lovers, said Katie Gordon, a senior bookseller at Barnes & Noble.
"The previous store, it was kind of being held together by band-aids and just the fact that it looks new, it feels new, it is new, everything is brand new, I feel that has definitely made every associate more proud to be in the store and helping customers, and that is a very good thing," Gordon said.
The new location is also larger than the old one and includes a renovated cafe and an expanded music section, Manager John Garvin said.
"We have the new seating in the cafe that has — they can plug right into the seating and get charged laptops, phones, whatever they need," Garvin said. "Here it's just being able to have that place where people can come and study or chill or whatever they want to do."
Another goal for the relocated store is to attract a larger crowd of people who will want to spend time
"(Customers) want to see all the new stuff we got that we didn't carry in the old store, and I think they're also excited about how big and beautiful it is," Seeger said. "We now have people that just want to wander. They just want to come in and see what we have and browse, and that was not the case of the old store."
The new Barnes & Noble is located at 6090 Garners Ferry Road, and is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information about the store's services, visit its website.