A retail investment firm is making an offer for a retail brand, which would result in stores staying open.
Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of bad news for the retail industry as several large chains file for bankruptcy.
One of these is Bed Bath & Beyond, which announced unless it found a buyer, it would cease operations and close all stores by June 30. Included in this is buybuy Baby, which is owned by Bed Bath & Beyond. buybuy Baby sells clothing, strollers, and other items for use with infants and young children.
However, there has been news of at least two potential bidders looking to acquire the buybuy Baby brand, which could be good news for Missouri shoppers.
The bidders
It has been confirmed that one of the bidders is Babylist, “the leading vertical marketplace and commerce destination for baby, driving purchase decisions for more than 9 million people each year.” They would look to buy the trademark and domain of the brand and close down the physical stores.
The Wall Street Journal has confirmed the second bidder is retail investment firm Go Global Retaill, an " independent operator with several successful, complimentary retail chains in their portfolio.” They own children's clothing brand Janie and Jack and womenswear label ModCloth - which it acquired from Walmart
If Go Global Retail was the successful bidder, "75% of the 120 buybuy baby stores across the nation will remain open."
This provides hope that the retail chain could be saved.
"I think buybuy Baby has a future. It's a part of the market where clients still appreciate advice and insight from specialists. So there's still a need for this category in a way there just isn’t for Bed Bath & Beyond." Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData analytics and consulting company.
There are three buybuy Baby stores in Missouri, all holding liquidation sales. Now there is some hope they could remain open.
List of buybuy BABY stores in Missouri
- 15355A Manchester Road, Ballwin, MO 63011
- 20000 East Jackson Drive, Independence, MO 64057
- 3200 Laclede Station, Suite D, Saint Louis, MO 63143
While there is some interest in acquiring the baby retail business, there do not appear to be any suitors for Bed Bath & Beyond at this stage.
As a result, all 360 Bed Bath & Beyond stores would close if no buyer came forward.
Your thoughts
Would you like to see buybuy Baby stores remain open in Missouri? Do you agree receiving expert advice rather than shopping online is better?
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