Sunita Somvanshi
Bed Bath & Beyond won’t be reopening any stores in California, a decision that has triggered a pointed response from Governor Gavin Newsom’s office.
Marcus Lemonis, executive chairman of Bed Bath & Beyond, announced on August 20 that the company’s comeback plan excludes physical stores in California. Instead, California’s 39 million residents will only be able to shop through the retailer’s website.
“California has created one of the most overregulated, expensive and risky environments for businesses in America,” Lemonis said in his statement. “We’re taking a stand because it’s time for common sense.”
The retailer’s decision comes as it attempts to rebuild after filing for bankruptcy in 2023, which led to closing all its locations nationwide. The company just opened its first new store near Nashville on August 8 under a slightly modified name: “Bed Bath & Beyond Home.” Governor Newsom’s press office quickly responded 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.” Lemonis insisted the California exclusion “isn’t about politics — it’s about reality,” though his statement repeatedly criticized the state’s regulatory policies.
He has previously voiced opposition to specific California regulations, including a February 2024 appearance on Fox Business where he called a California law requiring large corporations to report greenhouse gas emissions a “crazy law.”
The retailer’s relaunch is being managed by Brand House Collective, which operates the Bed Bath & Beyond brand now owned by Beyond Inc. The new stores will feature a “curated, smaller format” compared to the chain’s previous big-box approach. “We’d love to bring the brand back to every city, but it has to make sense for our customers and for the business,” said Amy Sullivan, Brand House Collective CEO.
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“Until conditions change, California won’t be on our Bed Bath & Beyond roadmap.” Beyond the Nashville location, the company plans to convert most of its existing Kirkland’s stores into Bed Bath & Beyond locations. Kirkland’s, a Nashville-based retailer, rebranded as Brand House Collective in July 2025.
“We intend to convert the vast majority of our existing Kirkland’s fleet into Bed Bath & Beyond stores while also pursuing new real estate opportunities,” Sullivan said. Lemonis has outlined ambitious growth plans despite the California exclusion. “We will target opening 300 small to midsize neighborhood stores through our Kirklands investment,” he wrote in response to Newsom on X.
The relaunch includes bringing back some familiar elements that customers associate with the brand. The company says it will honor the retailer’s legacy blue-and-white coupons, which became a hallmark of the Bed Bath & Beyond shopping experience before its bankruptcy.
This isn’t Lemonis’ first clash with California regulations. As CEO of Camping World, he previously battled San Joaquin County officials over an oversized flagpole installed without proper permits. After the American flag was temporarily removed during the permitting process, Lemonis ordered it to be flown again in August 2024.
“If we felt like we were putting people in danger or causing any issues with air traffic, which would absolutely not be okay, then I wouldn’t do it,” Lemonis told Sacramento’s FOX40. As Bed Bath & Beyond moves forward with its comeback strategy, the company is focusing on smaller store formats in markets outside California, leaving one of America’s largest consumer markets to be served exclusively through e-commerce.
