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August 12, 2025
What Should Bed Bath & Beyond’s Return Look Like?
Bed Bath & Beyond is returning to physical retailing under a new name, “Bed Bath & Beyond Home,” and a plan to re-embrace the chain’s controversial couponing practice.
Bed Bath & Beyond closed all 360 of its stores in bankruptcy proceedings in early 2023, and relaunched in June 2023 solely as an e-commerce site after Overstock bought the brand’s intellectual property. Overstock later bought and merged with Kirkland’s, changing its name to The Brand House Collective.
In June, Brand House Collective announced plans to accelerate the launch of Bed Bath & Beyond Home stores by converting existing Kirkland’s Home stores with the first opening last week in Nashville.
“This isn’t just a store, it’s a fresh start for a brand that means something special to so many families,” Amy Sullivan, CEO of The Brand House Collective, said in a statement. “With Bed Bath & Beyond Home we’re delivering on our mission to offer great brands, for any budget, in every room.”
Bed Bath & Beyond Home Will Honor Old Coupons While Issuing New Ones
In a surprise, the new store will accept old Bed Bath & Beyond coupons customers may still have, with new coupons being given away as well. Prior to the bankruptcy filing, Bed Bath & Beyond had been taking steps to reduce its reliance on coupons, commonly offering 20% off purchases as a traffic driver in order to shore up profitability.
Sullivan said last week, “We encourage guests to bring in their legacy Bed Bath & Beyond coupons which we will gladly honor. The coupon we all know and love is back and for those who need one, a fresh version will be waiting at the door.”
Adding “home” to Bed Bath & Beyond appears to indicate the returned concept will increase emphasis on home goods, although Bed Bath & Beyond always had a sizeable home furnishing mix, representing 36% of sales in 2022.
Social media commentators responding to an Instagram video of the Nashville opening said the concept appears similar to TJX’s HomeSense concept or Pier 1 Imports, which closed all its doors in a 2022 bankruptcy.
USA Today stated, “The inaugural Bed Bath & Beyond Home features a sleek, open-concept layout with sections for home decor, pillows and rugs, bathroom, bedroom, lighting and seasonal entertaining.”
Social commentators widely praised the return, with many requesting a Bed Bath & Beyond Home to open in their area. Some hoped Bed Bath & Beyond’s private label linens — including Wamsutta, Nestwell, and Everhome — would be available, although a few expressed concerns that they’ll miss the former Kirkland’s experience.
One response read, “Happy for Bed Bath and Beyond but I’m more of a Kirkland’s fan and worry if the quality will be the same.”
Discussion Questions
How should Bed Bath & Beyond Home be reimagining itself as a physical store? What elements from the former Bed Bath & Beyond concept should be brought back?
Do you applaud the return of coupons?
Poll
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Gary Sankary
Retail Industry Strategy, Esri
Shep Hyken
Chief Amazement Officer, Shepard Presentations, LLC
DeAnn Campbell
Head of Retail Insights, AAG Consulting Group
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The home furnishings market is crowded and highly competitive, so how is Bed Bath & Beyond setting itself apart? Based on what I’ve seen of the new store, the answer is far from clear. The space is tidy and well-presented – as you’d expect from a new opening – but there’s nothing that truly differentiates it. I also have a general lack of confidence in parent company Beyond (formerly Overstock). Their strategy for Bed Bath & Beyond has been inconsistent and even erratic, and this could just be the latest attempt to grasp at straws.
I also think the comparisons with Homesense and Pier 1 are off. It may look a little like Homesense, but it will not have the stock turn of an off-price retailer and it will likely struggle to match pricing. It also looks nothing like Pier 1 which had an strong eclectic, boho vibe.
Perhaps more like Nonsense.
Now there’s a rebranding waiting to happen!
1) A suburban/residential area store in Brentwood, TN population 46k (Though press is leveraging the heck out of association with 15mi away ‘Nashville’)
2) Now to sell more furniture & home goods… possibly on the lower price end of RH Outlet which is next door to the BBBH.
3) If the % off coupons are massively used, AND on higher price point items (furniture) how does that kick off store margins?
4) TBD= supply chains being used & how much – long term – tariffs affect pricing
5) Branding feels odd at first… ~ We’re back. but we’re really not BB&B~
How ’bout we just keep the whole idea of reopening as “imagined”?
Okay, so we have existing brand equity among consumers who fondly remember BBB, physical retail does provide differentiation from pure e-commerce players, and honoring old coupons creates immediate goodwill and PR buzz. However, this still feels like attempting to raise the dead without addressing what killed the patient initially. The coupon addiction may reignite the fire, but it can’t stay burning without eroding margins as it constantly feeds the consumers’ trained addiction. How will it differentiate in this crowded market (couponing won’t cut it)? What is the fundamental value proposition? Using Clayton Christensen’s jobs-to-be-done framework, what jobs were customers hiring BBB to do? Bed Bath & Beyond Home needs to create a destination for home transformation, not just home goods, but combining products with services, community, and expertise that Amazon can’t easily replicate.
Time will tell as this store is intended to be a test…
at minimum a conversion of already owned real estate.
If successful, company intends to open four more stores in the Nashville area.
Some of the future stores may be converted from existing Kirkland’s locations (parent company properties).
Q:. What are the BBBH metrics for successful-enough-to-expand?
Returning customers to the new Bed Bath & Beyond Home should be pleasantly surprised. The surprise doesn’t have to be over-the-top, but it should have a reaction of, “This is nicer than what I’m used to.” Nicer can be defined as a newer/updated store design, expanded merchandise, and more.
Furthermore, I appreciate that they are bringing back coupons, which were one of the key value propositions from the original Bed Bath & Beyond.
Bed Bath & Beyond Home can’t rely on nostalgia alone to carry this comeback. The name and coupons might drive early traffic, but long-term success will hinge on redefining the in-store experience for today’s shopper. That means curating products and experiences that feel current, differentiated, and worth the trip. Brands that get second chances rarely get a third, so how they uses this moment will matter more than the history behind it.
Accepting old coupons at the outset will create the expectation of “business as usual” in the minds of shoppers, and that business didn’t work out too well. They will also have a tough time competing against entrenched staples like TJX Home Goods stores. It’s a tough category for even well differentiated businesses, so I’m concerned that they may be relying on the loyalty of a customer that has long since transitioned their business elsewhere.
In order to reimagine as a physical store, Bed Bath & Beyond Home could create interactive zones where customers could test products such as bedding or kitchen gadgets in real-life settings. The incorporation of a rotating schedule of in-store workshops and demonstrations could engage customers and build community by offering classes on home organization or DIY projects. As an additional benefit, bringing back personalized shopping services with expert consultants could enhance the shopping experience and encourage customer loyalty.
Going to be tough in small format/neighborhood stores… 7k-15k sq dt. But maybe plans will change from last fall’s press.
“Under Beyond’s new deal, Kirkland’s will become the exclusive brick-and-mortar operator and licensee for new, small-format “neighborhood” Bed Bath & Beyond locations nationwide. The joint statement said those stores will be up to 15,000 square feet, and in a securities filing Monday Beyond put the size at as small as 7,000 square feet.”
https://www.costar.com/article/1146003316/bed-bath-beyond-joins-retailer-kirklands-in-latest-attempt-at-reboot
A map from the brokers site lists the old Kirkland version of that location as 10,707 sq ft.
https://property.jll.com/listings/1600-galleria-blvd-not-tracked-tennessee
I’m not optimistic about this. The market conditions that caused BBB to struggle are still in play. BBB’s absence from the market for the last few years means their customer base has moved on and developed new shopping habits. Re-acquiring customers is notoriously difficult and expensive. BBB-H will need a truly differentiated value proposition to attract sufficient interest and guests to make this work. Returning to the market with a repackaged version of their previous strategy is unlikely to be successful.
And, for the record, customers don’t love coupons; they tolerate them.