HarperCollins Plans to Close Its Buffalo Warehouse in 2028

HarperCollins plans to close its Buffalo, N.Y., warehouse early in 2028. The company announced that on October 20, and the decision was reported this week. Shelf Awareness, on October 22, said the publisher will shut the Buffalo building and consolidate North American distribution at a new warehouse in Brownsburg, Indiana, near Indianapolis.

In the announcement, HarperCollins said that, following a review of its distribution footprint, and in view of the 1.6 million-square-foot logistics hub it is building in Brownsburg, the Buffalo warehouse will close early in 2028. A company spokesperson said employment at the new warehouse will be available to employees interested in moving, and that the company will offer severance and placement support to people affected by the closing. Accounts of the announcement describe the Buffalo facility, formerly Harlequin Fulfillment Services, as about 400,000 square feet, with approximately 100 employees. Those accounts say the company expects to begin moving books into Brownsburg next summer.

Shelf Awareness, writing on October 22, reported that the Indiana warehouse is scheduled to open next year and will handle distribution for all North American titles. In a report of that date, next year is 2027.

What HarperCollins said in August 2025

The opening year in this week's reports is not the year in last year's release. On August 21, 2025, HarperCollins announced the Brownsburg building and said the hub was set to open in 2028. That press release called it a 1.6 million-square-foot facility that would use "the most advanced technology available to improve efficiency, enhance fulfillment accuracy, reduce waste, and increase visibility and control over the supply chain." It said the building could ship more than 300 million books a year. Shelf Awareness carried that square footage, that description of the technology, and that shipping figure again this week.

The 2025 release said Brownsburg will use automation for efficiency, speed, and reliability, drawing on the recently opened Robroyston warehouse in Glasgow, Scotland. The capacity, it said, leaves room for growth and later acquisitions. Brian Murray, president and CEO, said: "HarperCollins has experienced significant transformation and growth over the last 15 years, and now is the time to expand our North American footprint." He called the building "an investment in our authors, our customers, and the future of our business." The release expected more than 400 supply chain jobs, plus 375 during construction.

From five warehouses to one, and now a new one

The August 2025 release says that in 2010 HarperCollins outsourced distribution and logistics and reduced the warehouses it used from five to one. Over the 15 years after that, the release says, revenue nearly doubled, on organic growth and on acquisitions that included Thomas Nelson, Harlequin, and HMH Media. Shelf Awareness wrote this week that the company had outsourced distribution for about 15 years, unlike other major U.S. publishers, and that the approach changed last year.

Further reporting on the company is on our HarperCollins page.

Why it matters for authors and retailers

The practical change, as these announcements describe it, is a single North American shipping point, with automation the company says should improve speed and accuracy. Neither statement publishes new terms for stores or for authors. They do not agree on the year. August 2025 said the hub was set to open in 2028. This week's report says next year, with Buffalo closing early in 2028, and neither one explains the difference. For the approximately 100 people in Buffalo, the spokesperson offered work at the new warehouse for those who move, or severance and placement support.

Sources

• Shelf Awareness, October 22, 2026: HarperCollins to close the Buffalo warehouse in 2028
• HarperCollins Publishers, August 21, 2025: Brownsburg, Indiana, facility announcement