Other than semiannual clearances to reduce inventory, the company never held sales. Bed `n Bath, along with chains such as Toys `R' Us and Blockbuster Video, became pioneering 'category killers': large specialty retail outlets that beat their competition by offering virtually every possible product in their specific category at everyday low prices. Until this time, most independent home textile retailers either copied department store merchandising techniques or followed the mundane merchandising style used by discount retailers. While most department stores and specialty shops offered only a few select brands, Bed `n Bath's superstore offered seemingly every possible color, style, and size of each product. Over ten times the size of Bed `n Bath's original shop, this 20,000-square-foot outlet offered a comprehensive line of home furnishings in addition to Bed `n Bath's traditional linens and bath products. The new superstore was revolutionary in a number of ways. Feinstein and Eisenberg opened their first superstore in 1985, in an effort to set themselves apart from the sudden wave of competition that had appeared.
Specialty chains such as Linens `n Things, Pacific Linens, and Luxury Linens sprang up to tap into this new market. What had begun as a niche market was growing increasingly competitive as retailers sensed a 'cocooning trend' among baby boomers. During this time, however, a number of similar bath and bed specialty shops had opened. He added, 'It was the beginning of the designer approach to linens and housewares and we saw a real window of opportunity.' Bed `n Bath's first two 2,000-square-foot stores were located in high-traffic strip malls and carried such brand names as Cannon, Wamsutta, and Fieldcrest, as well as a line of lower-priced linens and bath towels.ĭuring the 1970s, Bed 'n Bath expanded at a healthy pace, and by 1985 the chain had grown to 17 stores located in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and California. 'We had witnessed the department store shakeout, and knew that specialty stores were going to be the next wave of retailing,' Feinstein told Chain Store Executive in 1993. As employees in management positions at Arlan's, a discount chain that fell on hard times during the early 1970s, the two sensed an essential change in retailing trends. Both men possessed over a decade of retail experience in 1971 when they formed Bed `n Bath, a small chain of specialty linen and bath shops in suburban New York. The driving force behind Bed Bath & Beyond was the partnership between founders Leonard Feinstein and Warren Eisenberg. The $1.8 billion company has operations throughout the United States and plans to continue opening new stores to support its goal of doubling its earnings every three years. Store count continues to grow at a rapid clip and in 2000, the company recorded its eighth consecutive year of record earnings. The company expanded rapidly in the early 1990s on the strength of the superstore concept. Some Bed Bath & Beyond stores have over 80,000 square feet-the average is 45,000 square feet-of selling floor and offer more than 300,000 different items, stacked literally from floor to ceiling. In the mid-1980s, Bed Bath & Beyond was a pioneer in the concept of superstores: large, well-stocked specialty shops with prices allegedly comparable to, or lower than, department store sale prices. Throughout the company's short history, bigger has proven to be better. The company has a chain of over 300 stores that sell such domestic merchandise as bed linens, bath accessories, kitchen textiles, cookware, dinnerware, kitchen utensils, small electric appliances, and basic home furnishings. operates the largest houseware goods specialty stores in the United States.
NAIC: 442299 All Other Home Furnishings Stores 442291 Window Treatment Storesīed Bath & Beyond strives to provide a large selection of items and superior service at everyday low prices within a constantly evolving shopping environment that is both fun and exciting for customers.ġ971: Feinstein and Eisenberg establish Bed 'n Bath.ġ985: Seventeen stores operate in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and California, and the first superstore is opened.ġ987: The company's name is changed to Bed Bath & Beyond.ġ994: Electric appliances are added the store's product offerings.Ģ000: The firm grows to 311 stores in 43 states.īed Bath & Beyond Inc.
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