BuyBuy Baby Purchased by Bed Bath & Beyond, Brick & Mortar Stores May Return

BuyBuy Baby has a new owner: Bed Bath & Beyond.

USA Today is reporting that the once-beleaguered store has been purchased by the parent company of the popular home goods retailer, in a deal that is reportedly worth $5 million. The deal also reportedly includes the reopening of several brick-and-mortar stores.

Bed Bath & Beyond, which was headquartered in Union, New Jersey, and declared bankruptcy in 2023, previously owned BuyBuy Baby. The chain attempted to open multiple physical sites.

However, BuyBuy Baby announced in October that it would be liquidating all of its locations and going entirely online.

Now, Bed Bath & Beyond’s parent company, Beyond, Inc., said in a statement last week that BuyBuy Baby “has a strong future both online and in brick and mortar.”

The return to brick-and-mortar is the result of a previously announced relationship with Kirkland’s, which operates and licenses Bed Bath & Beyond locations. “Kirkland’s will have full flexibility, from integrating BuyBuy Baby into Bed Bath & Beyond stores, to opening standalone locations under each legacy banner,” read a statement from the company.

Under the agreement, Beyond will pay a 1% revenue share on online sales and 0.5% on in-person sales generated by itself, its affiliates, licensees, and franchises. After being founded in 1996, BuyBuy Baby was originally acquired by Bed Bath & Beyond in 2007 for $67 million.

BuyBuy Baby Closed All Brick-and-Mortar Stores in October 2024

The baby clothing and gear retailer closed in October 2024 after filing for bankruptcy in April 2023. The company closed 360 locations across the U.S. and Canada, and all inventory was liquidated.

“The demand of consumers has changed, and as such, so are we. Based on the feedback from our loyal customers, we are shifting away from the brick-and-mortar model for the near future and redefining ourselves as a digital-first brand,” the company said in a statement to Retail Dive at the time.

Also at the time, BuyBuy Baby said on its website, “This decision comes after listening closely to you, our incredible customers, and our valued partners. Your feedback has been invaluable in shaping this new chapter. With this shift, we’ve come to the difficult decision of closing our physical stores before the end of the year. We understand this may be disappointing news, and we want you to know this wasn’t a choice we took lightly.”