Company lists · Data refreshed September 2026

Top 25 Bookstore chains based in the United States

RevenueBase identified 168 bookstore chains headquartered in the United States as of September 2026 and tracks 26,108 professional contacts across them, including 2,676 with verified work emails. New York is the largest hub.

This list covers bookstore chains headquartered in the United States, matched on what each company actually does as described in its own words. Ranked by team size, largest first. Every row shows the company's own description, its RevenueBase Smart Search rating, and when it was last checked. Data refreshed September 19, 2026.

Published by RevenueBase, a B2B data infrastructure company. This list was built with RevenueBase Smart Search, the natural-language company search RevenueBase customers use to build their own targeted lists and unlock verified emails and direct dials at the companies on them. How these lists are built and judged.

How to read this list HQ checked on every row RevenueBase Smart Search rating on every row Refreshed Sep 19, 2026 86% judged on-target in blind review
168Companies
26,108Contacts tracked
2,676Verified emails
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The 25 largest bookstore chains based in the United States

Ranked by team size
Top 25 of 168 bookstore chains based in the United States, ranked by team size, largest first. Data refreshed Sep 19, 2026. RevenueBase Smart Search rates how each company's information relates to bookstore chains: strong evidence (its own description names it), partial (names part of it), indirect (matched on the rest of its profile rather than the description shown). Click a contact count to view that company's people.
#CompanyRevenueBase Smart SearchHeadquartersEmployeesContacts
1Partial evidenceNY, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202610001+12,213 contacts →

Partial evidence

“Barnes & Noble proudly serves America with approximately 600 bookstores across all fifty states, and are busy opening newly designed stores in communities nationwide.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
2Indirect evidenceWestchester, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 20265,001-10,0003,785 contacts →

Indirect evidence

“Follett Higher Education is a leading educational service provider and omnichannel retailer providing students, faculty and staff, parents, and fans with the course materials…”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
3Partial evidenceFlorham Park, NJ, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202610001+2,699 contacts →

Partial evidence

“Barnes & Noble College, a Barnes & Noble Education (NYSE:BNED) company, is a leading operator of college bookstores in the United States.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
4Indirect evidenceBirmingham, AL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 20265,001-10,0002,011 contacts →

Indirect evidence

“Books-A-Million, Inc, is the second-largest book retailer in the nation, operating more than 200 stores in 32 states and online at Booksamillion.com.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
5Indirect evidenceDallas, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 20261,001-5,0001,110 contacts →

Indirect evidence

“Be fair to customers and our employees, promote literacy, be kind to the environment and remain financially viable so we may continue.”, Our Mission Statement in the words of HPB…”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
6Indirect evidenceAnn Arbor, MI, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202610001+1,048 contacts →

Indirect evidence

“Borders is a place to discover fascinating new releases and reconnect with old favorites, a place to share a family story time or savor a hot cup of coffee.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
7Indirect evidenceOak Brook, IL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 20261,001-5,000698 contacts →

Indirect evidence

“ReaderLink is North America’s largest full-service book distributor.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
8Indirect evidencePortland, OR, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 2026501-1,000295 contacts →

Indirect evidence

“Powell's is an independent bookseller serving Portland, Oregon, since 1971, with four store locations.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
9Partial evidenceSan Francisco, CA, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202611-50134 contacts →

Partial evidence

“Green Apple Books is a trio of independent bookstores in San Francisco.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
10Indirect evidenceConway, AR, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 2026201-50092 contacts →

Indirect evidence

“Textbook Brokers is an Arkansas headquartered, debt-free, veteran-owned company.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
11Indirect evidenceColumbia, MO, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 2026201-50080 contacts →

Indirect evidence

“MBS Textbook Exchange was acquired by Barnes & Noble Education in 2017.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
12Partial evidenceCoral Gables, FL, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202651-20073 contacts →

Partial evidence

“An independent bookstore based in Miami, with nearly an author event everyday, with locations in Coral Gables, Miami Beach, The Bal Harbour Shops, Miami International Airport, and…”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
13Partial evidenceCambridge, MA, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 2026n/a45 contacts →

Partial evidence

“Welcome to The COOP, the campus store and official bookstore for the Harvard and MIT communities!”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
14Indirect evidenceBayonne, NJ, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 2026501-1,00039 contacts →

Indirect evidence

“Founded in 1929, Bookazine is a full-service wholesaler offering a wide-ranging and deep inventory of new releases and best selling back-list, with expertise in children's titles…”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
15Indirect evidenceNew York, NY, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202651-20037 contacts →

Indirect evidence

“Book Culture was founded as Labyrinth Books in 1997 by current owner Chris Doeblin and his partner at the time Cliff Simms.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
16Partial evidenceNew York, NY, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202651-20037 contacts →

Partial evidence

“A bookstore built by book lovers, for people who believe in the joy of browsing, the pleasure of a well-loved paperback, and the thrill of finding exactly the right thing by…”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
17Partial evidenceDenver, CO, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202651-20035 contacts →

Partial evidence

“Established in 1971, Tattered Cover Book Store is one of America's premier independent bookstores, a Denver institution, a community gathering place, and an experience you can't…”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
18Partial evidenceBellingham, WA, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202611-5029 contacts →

Partial evidence

“Village Books is Whatcom County's favorite independent bookstore, located in Historic Fairhaven and Lyden.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
19Indirect evidenceCambridge, MA, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202611-5027 contacts →

Indirect evidence

“Harvard Book Store is a unique and special place to shop-a locally owned, independently run Cambridge landmark since 1932.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
20Indirect evidenceLansing, MI, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202651-20026 contacts →

Indirect evidence

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
21Partial evidenceManchester Center, VT, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202651-20018 contacts →

Partial evidence

“Northshire Bookstore, Your Independent Bookstore, is a family-owned, independent bookstore, with locations in Manchester Center, Vermont, and Saratoga Springs, New York as well as…”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
22Indirect evidenceMckeesport, PA, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202651-20015 contacts →

Indirect evidence

“Book Country’s sq.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
23Indirect evidenceNew York, NY, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202611-5015 contacts →

Indirect evidence

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
24Partial evidenceBrooklyn, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202611-5014 contacts →

Partial evidence

“About Greenlight Bookstore: Founded in October 2009, Greenlight Bookstore is a general independent bookstore in Brooklyn, New York, encompassing two bookstore locations, a…”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026
25Partial evidenceSan Francisco, CA, United StatesHQ checked Sep 19, 202611-5014 contacts →

Partial evidence

“Founded in October 1976, The Booksmith is an independent bookstore located in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco.”

Source: RevenueBase Database · checked Sep 19, 2026

Showing 25 of 168 bookstore chains based in the United States

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Bookstore chains based in the United States at a glance

As of Sep 19, 2026
10.2%Verified-email coverage
155.4Average contacts per company
11-50Median size (employees)
4.8%Largest-city concentration · New York
Sep 19, 2026Page data refreshed

Companies by employee count

1-10
74
11-50
51
51-200
17
201-500
9
501-1,000
2
1,001-5,000
4
5,001-10,000
3
10001+
4

Email recency for this list is measured worldwide rather than for United States, so it is reported there. Company counts and contact totals on this page are exact for United States, over 168 companies.

How this list was built

Company categories are rarely black and white. RevenueBase reads each company's own description of its business to decide whether it belongs among bookstore chains, so some rows will be adjacent to the category rather than pure plays. The description and RevenueBase Smart Search rating on every row are there so you can check each match yourself.

Source
The RevenueBase company graph: 60 million companies and 398.9 million professional contacts resolved from primary sources, queried with RevenueBase Smart Search, the natural-language company search available to every RevenueBase user.
What qualifies
Companies headquartered in the United States whose own description of what they do matches “bookstore chains”. Matching reads each company's description, not its industry code or its name.
RevenueBase Smart Search
RevenueBase Smart Search is how this list is assembled and how each row is rated. RevenueBase's data engine and AI assess a company's LinkedIn profile, information supplied directly by the company, its website and other publicly available information, then relate it to a category defined in a user's own words. Each row is rated strong evidence (its own description names bookstore chains), partial evidence (it names part of the category) or indirect evidence (the description shown names none of it and the match rests on the rest of the company's profile). The description supporting each rating is quoted on the row.
What we exclude
Companies whose own description does not clearly place them among bookstore chains, and records with no verified work email. Companies headquartered outside United States are excluded even when they keep an office there.
Match quality
In blind human judging of this matching method, 86% of matched companies were on target. Expect roughly 1 in 7 rows to be adjacent to the category rather than a pure play. Every row shows the company's own description and its RevenueBase Smart Search rating so you can judge each match yourself. Read the full methodology: how the lists are built, how the judging worked, and what the figure means.
Ranking
Team size, largest first: companies are ordered by the number of professionals RevenueBase tracks at each one. Employee ranges shown are reported bands, for context.
Verification
Every listed company carries at least one verified work email, 2,676 across the full list. Contacts re-verify on a rolling cadence, and each contact's own verification date is shown inside RevenueBase.
Refresh
This page's figures were pulled from the company graph on September 19, 2026. Lists refresh periodically as the graph is re-checked.
Corrections
Wrong category, wrong headquarters, or a company that has closed? Use “Report an issue” on any row. Reports go to the RevenueBase Data Team and feed back into the company graph.

Frequently asked

What is RevenueBase Smart Search?

RevenueBase Smart Search is how RevenueBase decides which companies belong on this list and how strongly each one fits. Its data engine and AI assess a company's LinkedIn profile, information supplied directly by the company, its website and other publicly available information, then relate it to the category the list is about. Each row is rated strong evidence when the company's own description names bookstore chains, partial evidence when it names part of the category, and indirect evidence when the description shown names none of it and the match rests on the rest of the company's profile.

How many bookstore chains are there based in the United States?

RevenueBase identified 168 bookstore chains headquartered in the United States as of September 2026, matched on each company's own description of what it does rather than its industry code.

What is the largest company on this list?

Barnes & Noble, INC, headquartered in United States, tops this list with the largest team on record.

Which city has the most bookstore chains?

New York leads with 8 headquartered companies, followed by Chicago (6) and Columbia (5).

How do I get contact information for these companies?

A free RevenueBase account lets you run this exact search and work the top results, verified emails and direct dials included. Upgrading unlocks all 2,676 verified decision-maker contacts tracked across these 168 companies.

How current is this list?

The list refreshes periodically as the company graph is re-checked. This page's figures were pulled on September 19, 2026.

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About this data

RevenueBase is a B2B data infrastructure company. Its company graph covers 60 million companies and 398.9 million professional contacts, with emails verified on a rolling cadence rather than scraped once and left to decay. These company lists are generated directly from that graph with RevenueBase Smart Search, the same natural-language company search every RevenueBase user has: describe a market in plain words, get the companies that match, and add verified emails and direct dials for the people at them. It is the same data that powers RevenueBase's B2B data products, and a free account includes 500 credits to start. How these lists are built and judged.