jetcityimage2/Depositphotos.com
July 10, 2025
Would a Retailer by any Other Name Smell as Sweet? Kirkland’s Home Rebrand Set To Kick Off
The Opening Act: A Brand Seeks Reinvention
Kirkland’s Home has decided it’s time for a costume change.
The specialty home décor retailer just announced a dramatic rebrand to The Brand House Collective, a name that sounds less like a discount picture frame outlet and more like a startup lifestyle conglomerate. The rebrand isn’t just a new nameplate slapped on. It’s a full transformation that includes strategic partnerships, board shakeups, and a bet on being the physical home for some of retail’s most recognizable names. The question is, will this initiative help the retailer avoid a curtain call?
According to a company press release, the official name change is pending a shareholder vote on July 24. If approved, the ticker will switch from KIRK to TBHC. The company plans to function more like a multi-brand operator, managing in-store experiences for Kirkland’s Home, Bed Bath & Beyond Home, Overstock, and potentially even buybuy Baby.
Enter Stage Left: Beyond Inc. and the Plot So Far
This rebrand follows a growing collaboration with Beyond Inc., the new digital parent company of Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock, and buybuy Baby. To understand how we got here, let’s go back to the opening monologue. Bed Bath & Beyond, once a dominant force in home goods retail, began to lose ground in the late 2010s due to a range of theatrical missteps from overexpansion, supply chain issues, and growing competition from online players. In April 2023, the company filed for bankruptcy and began liquidating hundreds of its stores.
In a surprising twist, Overstock.com, previously known for off-price e-commerce and surplus inventory, acquired Bed Bath & Beyond’s name and digital assets for $21.5 million in June 2023 following the company’s bankruptcy. Shortly after, Overstock relaunched the BedBathandBeyond.com website under its ownership in July, replacing its own legacy domain. In August 2023, Overstock formally rebranded itself as Beyond Inc., signaling a broader ambition to unify its growing portfolio under a consumer-facing brand with stronger emotional equity.
Scene Change: A New Role for Kirkland’s
Beyond continued that strategy by acquiring buybuy Baby later in 2023 and preparing for a return to physical retail.
That’s where Kirkland’s enters the picture. In May 2025, Beyond Inc. expanded its credit facility with Kirkland’s by $5.2 million, following an earlier $17 million in debt financing. The company also acquired the rights to use Kirkland’s brand name, enabling a co-branded strategy but not a full ownership transfer.
The result? Kirkland’s will convert some stores into Bed Bath & Beyond Home locations, blending a nostalgic name with new merchandising and updated in-store experiences. The first transformation is slated to open this August in Brentwood, Tennessee, with additional conversions planned through 2026. Beyond also plans to pilot about 30 Overstock-branded physical stores, further signaling its commitment to reestablishing a brick-and-mortar presence under its growing portfolio.
Cast of Characters: The Board Gets a Rewrite
It’s not just logos and signage getting a refresh. The boardroom is, too. Outgoing directors include retail veterans like Jill Soltau (formerly of Joann and JCPenney) and interim CEO Ann Joyce. In their place, the company has brought in new faces with strong omnichannel and turnaround credentials. That includes Eric Schwartzman (ex–Bed Bath), Neely Tamminga (Distill), Tamara Ward (formerly Camping World), and Steve Woodward (formerly Crate & Barrel and Pier 1).
On the leadership side, a new crew is settling in, most notably Jamie Schisler as COO (previously at Express) and Andrea Courtois, the incoming CFO starting July 21. Bed Bath’s former merchandising VP, Kerri Dlugokinski, is also on board, as is a revamped sourcing and legal team.
Francesca’s veteran joins Kirkland’s as CFO: Andrea Courtois, who also had financial roles at La Senza, Lane Bryant and Lands’ End, replaces longtime Kirkland's executive Mike Madden. https://t.co/jj41FLgjux pic.twitter.com/hyfi7g4PlK
— Rick Telberg (@CPA_Trendlines) July 2, 2025
Box Office Numbers: Can This Script Sell?
All of this is happening against a financial backdrop that’s, well… transitional.
According to the company’s Q1 2025 earnings release, net sales dropped 11% to $81.5 million. Comp sales fell 3.1%, and e-commerce was hit particularly hard with a 26.7% decline. Gross margins also took a hit, falling to 24.9% from 29.5% the year prior. But there was a small glimmer of hope: Stores saw a 3% comp increase in May, a sign that shoppers are still showing up when the assortment resonates.
To make the economics work, the company is right-sizing its footprint. A few dozen underperforming stores are on the chopping block, which will bring the fleet down to just under 290 locations. The goal is to blend the convenience of brick-and-mortar with the brand equity of Bed Bath and Overstock while potentially offering a new home for buybuy Baby, which Beyond also owns.
This multi-brand operator model is ambitious. It echoes the strategic approach of retail collectives like WHP Global and Authentic Brands Group but with a twist: The focus is on controlling and reviving stores, not just collecting brand licenses. If executed well, The Brand House Collective could become the physical staging ground for digital-native brands in need of tactile engagement with shoppers.
Curtain Call or Comeback Tour?
The real question is whether consumers will follow the brands into these new hybrid spaces. Will the magic of Bed Bath’s nostalgic name and Overstock’s off-price roots be enough to lure shoppers back into stores? Or is this just another case of rebranding without reinvention?
Time—and traffic—will tell.
Discussion Questions
Should other distressed retailers explore partnerships like this with portfolio-brand operators such as Beyond Inc., WHP Global, or Authentic Brands Group?
How critical is board and leadership reshuffling in making a brand reinvention like this stick? Are these new hires a sign of meaningful change, or just window dressing?
Can the multi-brand, brick-and-mortar model that Beyond Inc. is testing with Kirkland’s succeed in a largely digital-first world?
Does a brand name still carry the same weight it once did in retail, or are customers more influenced by experience and value today? How much power does nostalgia hold in driving consumer traffic back into stores like Bed Bath & Beyond?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Warren Shoulberg
Senior Contributor, The Robin Report
Neil Saunders
Managing Director, GlobalData
Dick Seesel
Principal, Retailing In Focus LLC
Recent Discussions
More Discussions
Which Tech Will Solve In-Store Inventory Woes?
Three major tech lineups are looking to solve retail inventory problems. Which is most suited?Will Ford’s New Retail Experience Deliver Results?
Ford is revamping its global dealership model, in terms of physical space and other aspects. Will…Will Target’s Rebalancing Act Solve its ‘Sloppier’ Stores Problem?
Target is making an operational move to take fulfillment duties away from certain stores. Will this…
The switch to The Brand House Collective name is a corporate move. This is not the name that customers will see. So, in some ways, it doesn’t matter much and, arguably, the change better reflects the corporate status of the company now that it is selling multiple brands.
The public facing changes are moving some Kirkland’s stores to a new Bed Bath & Beyond Home concept and introducing a new Overstock store format. The former will likely generate interest as the brand is still recognized. However, it won’t live or die on the name: it comes down to execution. What is the concept adding to the market, how is it differentiating in the crowded home space, and so on? There is a lack of clarity on this front and, to be frank, neither Beyond nor Kirkland’s have the best of track records at creating compelling customer propositions.
I get paid over 220 Dollars per hour working from home with 2 kids at home. i never thought i’d be able to do it but my best friend earns over 15k a month doing this and she convinced me to try. it was all true and has totally changed my life. This is what I do, check it out by Visiting Following Website…
.
.
HERE—————⊃⫸ https://rb.gy/20rv69
Google is now paying $300 to $500 per hour for doing work online work from home. Last paycheck of me said that $20537 from this easy and simple job. Its amazing and earns are awesome. No boss, full time freedom and earnings are in front of you. This job is just awesome. Every person can makes income online with google easily….
.
More Details For Us→→→→ https://tinyurl.com/mr8pnsb6
I wish I was more confident about how this story is going to play out. In kind of an ironic twist, it reminds me of a company called Overstock that bought the Bed Bath & Beyond brand and renamed its corporate self Beyond Inc. Sound familiar? That doesn’t seem to have worked out all that well with the resurrection of the Overstock platform, has it? Beyond and Kirkland are two companies that have more than their share of problems. House of Brands…or House of Cards?
I’m showing my ignorance, and was unaware Kirkland’s Home has over 300 stores in 35 states….but when I hear “Kirkland” I think Costco. Maybe a rebranding opportunity beyond that of the parent company?
That is one of the problems. Awareness of the brand is poor relative to the size and scale of their estate. A rebrand of some stores to Bed Bath & Beyond Home and Overstock may move that dial a bit, but it is not guaranteed. The business needs a thorough reset.
I’m with you on that; and quite ironic, as yesterday we had a(n in most people’s opinion) false flag threat about brand confusion involving Costco, here’s the real thing!
To be fair, Kirkland’s (as in the furnishings store) came before Costco’s brand! Though the Costco brand is much better know.
Correct, it’s thoroughly legitimate – an overhanded move? – but I can see Costco execs wearing down their molars. On a side note Kress and Kresge had a similar situation of confusion..they reached a Gentleman’s agreement of staying out of each others core areas.
That’s good retail history. Target Australia and Target US are always amusing too – the number of times I have seen the wrong logo used in presentations! Fortunately the geographical separation means consumer confusion is avoided!
It sounds to me like much more than a brand reshuffling is needed here. Anytime I read “rightsizing”or “strategic approach” etc, I think more problems are just down the road.
And for that matter, “Kirkland” is confusing in and of itself–I agree with Dick-Kirkland = Costco.
Jeez Louise! This was the post that confronts brand confusion head on: I guess there’s nothing Costco can do about this – it’s a legimate name – but they can’t be happy about it.
So, no more plastic monogrammed pumpkins?
Seriously though, the name The Brand House Collective sounds less like a place I’d go for home decor and more like… well, a Kirkland’s that sells name brands.
The home goods space is saturated, and The Brand House Collective is walking into a battlefield where giants already dominate every conceivable angle. The market has been carved up by specialists who’ve spent decades perfecting their value propositions. The differentiation has shifted from product to experience and operational excellence. The nostalgic brand pull might drive initial curiosity visits, but retention requires delivering something meaningfully better than the established players. In reality, combining two struggling companies typically does not yield the kind of innovative strength necessary for success.
Multiple merchants, each with a different product focus and unique merchandising but hopefully common shopper profiles, under one roof? OMG! It’s such a groundbreaking strategy, we need a name for it! Maybe something French to class it up … “le departement” … yeah! A department store! Gen Z shoppers won’t have ever seen it before!
The French phrase for “department store” is <<Grand Magasin>>; this seems like a lesser effort, so perhaps <<Petit magasin>>?
When something isn’t working, that’s why you make a change. That’s just good business. Rebranding is tricky, but if you’re throwing out the old (or what’s not working) to replace it with something that might deliver greater results, go for it. But it better really not be working to make such a bold move as a full brand name change or merger into another company.