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Samantha Butter’s wedding planning hit a snag. She wanted to register at Bed Bath & Beyond.
But the 52-year-old store chain, headquartered in Union, will be closing this year.
“I’m so sad,” she said. “I’m getting married next year and I really wanted to register here, so I’m kind of bummed.”
Bed Bath & Beyond — known for being the go-to spot for shoppers looking to outfit dorm rooms and starter homes, and for keeping them coming back with its iconic big, blue 20% off coupons — announced over the weekend that it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and closing hundreds of stores across the United States. There are 13 stores in New Jersey.
The closure will also affect 130 buybuy Baby stores, of which there are eight in New Jersey.
“I just had a baby, and we shopped at buybuy Baby, and they’re closing also, so now I don’t know where to get baby items other than Target,” said Jennifer Kaminski. “I just like seeing the items and touching them.”
Why did Bed Bath & Beyond close?
The retailer was slow to adapt to online shopping, said David Silverman, a retail analyst with Fitch Ratings.
That left the company ill-prepared for the widespread retail closures during the early days of the pandemic, he said, when many competitors like Target shifted to curbside pickup. And it left the chain missing out on the pandemic-driven home-decorating boom of the pandemic.
“These omni-channel initiatives like curbside pickup and ship-from-store, they’re not easy and they’re not something that can be turned on overnight. You have to have a significant amount of infrastructure,” Silverman said.
“Bed Bath & Beyond historically just didn’t focus on that sort of infrastructure because they didn’t feel like e-commerce was a real threat and something that they really needed to participate in,” he continued. “The company’s core was very strong in-store merchandise.”
Bed Bath & Beyond’s spokespeople did not respond to a request for comment.
‘The end of an era’ for Bed Bath & Beyond
Shoppers whom the The Record and NorthJersey.com interviewed at Bed Bath & Beyond in Springfield — where the whole chain started in 1971 — pondered the end of an era, and some personal connection to the giant known for its home goods.
“It’s sad. I was a linen buyer when they first started years ago,” said Susan Jay of Short Hills, who emerged from the Springfield store with a baggie stuffed full of blue coupons like the ones she’d used to get discounts on her purchases.
Bed Bath & Beyond found its way into the college dorm, into the kitchen and bedroom, Jay said.
Sure, there was the internet, but “sometimes things were cheaper elsewhere than on Amazon,” said her husband, Mark.
The store was mobbed for a Monday morning — the first weekday after the bankruptcy news was announced. There was a constant stream of customers. Cars pulled into and out of the lot.
Christina Migal of Chatham said the store had been a “staple” for her four children going to college.
“I just feel like it’s the end of an era,” she said. “I just feel like fairly soon we won’t have any big-box stores to go to when you need something last minute.”
Local:These North Jersey businesses are closing, including a furniture store and a funeral home
How long can I use my Bed Bath & Beyond coupon?
Coupons will be accepted until April 25 and the store closing sale begins on April 26, according to the store’s Chapter 11 FAQ. All sales from that point on will be final. Gift cards will be accepted through May 8, the FAQ added, and merchandise credits will be accepted through May 15.
Online shopping “can continue” at this time, the FAQ continues.
Bed Bath & Beyond didn’t immediately return an email seeking comment for this story.
Previous store closings this year affected 1,300 workers across New Jersey, who were laid off shortly before implementation of a law that requires severance for layoffs that affect at least 50 people.
Insider was the first to report on the timing of those layoffs, but Bed Bath & Beyond said it would “not comment on speculation.”
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