TUCSON, ARIZONA (Oct. 5, 2026) — As first announced in Real Estate Dail News Tucson Lease Report for March 23–27, 2026, Barnes & Noble leased 16,056 square feet at Oracle Wetmore Shopping Center. The bookseller will open its fourth Tucson bookstore October 7 in the former Joann Fabrics space at 4380 N. Oracle Road, Suite 150.
The bookseller leased 16,056 square feet from Acacia-Tucson LLC. Aaron LaPrise, principal and retail specialist with Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, represented the landlord. Phil Dagostini and Greg Laing of Phoenix Commercial Advisors represented Barnes & Noble.
Located next to World Market, the store will feature a broad selection of books, toys, games, vinyl records, magazines and stationery, along with a Barnes & Noble Café. The opening returns the former craft store space to active retail use and expands the bookseller’s presence along the Oracle Road corridor.
Doors will open at 9 a.m. Wednesday, October 7. Tucson author Kathleen Glasgow will participate in the ribbon-cutting and sign copies of her novel, The Glass Girl. Children’s character Maisy will also appear for story time events during the opening weekend.
The new location joins Barnes & Noble’s existing eastside and westside bookstores and its smaller store inside Tucson Mall. Bret Christopherson, a 21-year Barnes & Noble veteran, will manage the Oracle Road store.
The opening is part of the company’s continuing national expansion. Barnes & Noble reports that its store count has grown from fewer than 600 in 2023 to more than 725. Its approach gives local booksellers greater influence over their stores, combining locally selected offerings with the resources of a national chain.
For Tucson’s retail market, the lease illustrates how an established shopping center can reposition space vacated by a departing tenant with a business that encourages browsing, repeat visits and time spent on site.