I don’t know about you, but I kinda miss Bed Bath & Beyond. I’m not a big shopper, but the retailer was my go-to when I needed a quick wedding shower gift or some little kitchen gadget my mom wanted for her birthday or Christmas. My mom loved it, too, and she saved every one of those famous coupons they sent out. Well, guess what? It’s coming back. Sort of.
Bed Bath & Beyond has kind of a complicated history, and its decline began in the late 2010s. In April 2023, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and in May, it was delisted from NASDAQ. In June, Overstock.com bought the rights to the name and intellectual property and rebranded itself as Bed Bath & Beyond online. By July 30, the defunct company had closed all of its brick-and-mortar locations.
Marcus Lemonis is the CEO and chairman of the company, which was called Beyond, Inc. for a time, but he announced earlier this year that it’s changing its name to Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc., the “most valuable piece of intellectual property.” Not only that, but the store is making a brick-and-mortar comeback. Bed Bath & Beyond, Inc. has partnered with The Brand House Collective (formerly Kirklands), and it is getting back into the in-person retail market.
Over the next two years, the company plans to open new, smaller Bed Bath & Beyond stores called “Bed Bath & Beyond Home,” as well as BuyBuy Baby stores, which were also part of the Bed Bath & Beyond brand. (I know, it’s all a little confusing.)
The first one opened in Nashville earlier this month, and the initial goal is 300 stores across 35 states over the next two years.
But don’t expect California to be one of them.
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Lemonis released a statement today going after the Golden State, and he did not hold back.
Official statement regarding @BedBathBeyond
We will not open retail stores in California.
This isn’t about politics — it’s about reality.
California’s system makes it nearly impossible for businesses to succeed, and I won’t put our company, our employees, or our… pic.twitter.com/G5dSaigB3y— Marcus Lemonis (@marcuslemonis) August 20, 2025
“We will not open retail stores in California,” the statement begins. “This isn’t about politics — it’s about reality.” Here’s the rest of it.
California has created one of the most overregulated, expensive, and risky environments for businesses in America. It’s a system that makes it harder to employ people, harder to keep doors open, and harder to deliver value to customers.
The result? Higher taxes, higher fees, higher wages that many businesses simply cannot sustain, and endless regulations that strangle growth. Even when the state announces a budget surplus, it’s built on the backs of ordinary citizens who are paying too much and businesses who are squeezed until they break.
At Bed Bath & Beyond, our responsibility is to our customers and our shareholders. We will not participate in a system that undermines both. Instead, we are investing in a California strategy that works: 24 48 hour delivery, and in many cases, same-day service. Californians will continue to get the products they love through BedBathandBeyond.com — but without the inflated costs created by an unsustainable model.
We’re taking a stand because it’s time for common sense. Businesses deserve the chance to succeed. Employees deserve jobs that last. And customers deserve fair prices. California’s system delivers the opposite. That’s why Bed Bath & Beyond will serve California customers directly through BedBathandBeyond.com, on our terms, and with their best interests at heart.
Lemonis also spoke out on the topic in an interview with Fox News. “At some point, some business needs to take a stand and remind the state of California that, while they keep reminding us that they’re the fourth-largest economy in the world, that’s going to dissipate over time,” he said.
REALITY CHECK: Bed Bath & Beyond chairman Marcus Lemonis tells FOX Business the retailer is making a grand return with over 300 new locations across America — but NONE of them will be in California. pic.twitter.com/EaN9f7ix3Q
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 20, 2025
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