Oct 15, 2025
While we adhere to strict editorial guidelines, partners on this page may provide us earnings.
Bed Bath & Beyond is staging a comeback, but not everywhere.
The retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2023, closing 360 stores before relaunching that June under new ownership. Overstock purchased its intellectual property and relaunched the company under The Brand House Collective. Now, Bed Bath and Beyond says a new Nashville location will serve as a test site for potential future stores.
Advertisement
One place it will not return to is California.
“California has created one of the most overregulated, expensive, and risky environments for businesses in America,” executive chairman Marcus Lemonis said in a statement. He pointed to what he described as “higher taxes, higher fees, higher wages.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office fired back on social media platform X: "After their bankruptcy and closure of every store, like most Americans, we thought Bed Bath & Beyond no longer existed. We wish them well in their efforts to become relevant again as they try to open a 2nd store."
California dreamin’ elsewhere
Lemonis has long been critical of California’s business environment, saying it makes it harder to keep stores open and deliver value to customers.
He emphasized that the retailer will still operate in “almost every other state.” While brick-and-mortar stores will not reopen in California, shoppers there can still make online purchases. To meet that demand, the company plans a dedicated “California strategy,” which includes same-day delivery in some areas and 24- to 48-hour shipping.
Bed Bath & Beyond isn’t alone in pulling back. Between 2018 and 2021, more than 350 firms moved their headquarters out of California, according to research by Lee E. Ohanian of the Hoover Institution and Joseph Vranich, a Texas-based business relocation consultant. Many were lured away by lower taxes, lighter regulations and friendlier business climates.
Must Read
- Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s what it is and the simple steps to fix it ASAP
- Robert Kiyosaki begs investors not to miss this ‘explosion’ — says this 1 asset will surge 400% in a year
- Vanguard reveals what could be coming for U.S. stocks, and it’s raising alarm bells for retirees. Here’s why and how to protect yourself
Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.
What it means for shoppers and businesses
The company is opening its first brick-and-mortar location since bankruptcy in Nashville under a slightly revised name: Bed Bath & Beyond Home.
Advertisement
Also looking beyond California was In-N-Out. CEO Lynsi Snyder made the move, expanding its burger chain outside the state by establishing a second headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee.
"There are a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here," Snyder said in a recent interview on the Relatable podcast.
She also raised safety concerns. In 2024, In-N-Out shuttered its Oakland restaurant after 18 years, citing rising crime in the area, even though the location was still turning a profit.
Bed Bath & Beyond has voiced similar frustrations, pointing to a rise in retail theft across the state over the past two years. A study by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found shoplifting increased in major cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco between 2021 and 2022. In response, voters approved Proposition 36 last November, making repeat shoplifting offenses subject to felony charges.
As companies weigh costs, regulations and safety, California’s business climate will remain under a microscope. New policies may address some of those challenges, but the bigger question is whether they’ll be enough to stop the outflow of retailers or if shoppers in the Golden State will have to get used to clicking “add to cart” instead of walking into a store.
You May Also Like
- Turning 50 with $0 saved for retirement? Most people don’t realize they’re actually just entering their prime earning decade. Here are 6 ways to catch up fast
- This 20-year-old lotto winner refused $1M in cash and chose $1,000/week for life. Now she’s getting slammed for it. Which option would you pick?
- Warren Buffett used these 8 repeatable money rules to turn $9,800 into a $150B fortune. Start using them today to get rich (and stay rich)
- Here are 5 easy ways to own multiple properties like Bezos and Beyoncé. You can start with $10 (and no, you don’t have to manage a single thing)
Victoria Vesovski is a Toronto-based Staff Reporter at Moneywise, where she covers the intersection of personal finance, lifestyle and trending news. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, a postgraduate certificate in Publishing from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Master’s degree in American Journalism from New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. Her work has been featured in publications including Apple News, Yahoo Finance, MSN Money, Her Campus Media and The Click.
