Major baby retailer to close all its stores — again
(WJW) - Buybuy Baby is going bye-bye (again), at least if you want to shop in person.
In a blog post published last week, the company announced plans to close all of its stores nationwide over the next few months. There are less than a dozen buybuy Baby locations still open, scattered across Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Virginia.
The retailer said it plans to strengthen its online shopping experience as it moves to an online-only business model.
"buybuy BABY is transforming into a digital-first brand, focusing all our energy on providing an exceptional online shopping experience. 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," the company explained in an FAQ post.
Closing sales at the remaining buybuy Baby stores began on Friday. Gift cards will be accepted through Oct. 31, according to the company, while baby registries will remain available on the website.
“We understand this may be disappointing news, and we want all our customers to know this wasn't a choice we took lightly,” the company said on its website.
Buybuy Baby stores have experienced a tumultuous time since its parent company, Bed Bath & Beyond, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April 2023. In the months prior, as financial problems loomed, Bed Bath & Beyond shuttered some of its buybuy Baby locations, cutting its footprint down to 120 stores.
While Bed Bath & Beyond's intellectual property assets were purchased by online retailer Overstock.com, the buybuy Baby chain was forced to shutter all of its stores after a deal to save the chain fell through in June 2023, CNBC reports. The company's intellectual property was later bought by one of its longtime suppliers, and reports say there were plans to open more than 100 buybuy Baby stores.
The handful of stores that were able to open are now scheduled to close by the end of the year.
Buybuy Baby is only the latest retailer to find itself face-to-face with store closures.
Big Lots, in the midst of its own Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, has or will soon close roughly 500 stores nationwide. Last week, Walgreens said it plans to close about 1,200 stores over the next three years. And last month, the once-beloved Kmart shuttered its last store in the continental U.S.