bed bath & beyond in buffalo, ny
Photo: Getty Images/JHVEPhoto

Bankrupt Bed Bath & Beyond is no longer accepting its own coupons, but Big Lots and The Container Store are.

Axios reports that the two retail chains want to attract Bed Bath & Beyond’s customers with temporary deals to get them in the door.

Big Lots said yesterday that it would give any shopper with a Bed Bath & Beyond coupon 20 percent off their purchase of $50 or more. The offer is good through May 7.

“Our mission is to help people live big and save lots, which means we’re always thinking of ways to step up and deliver even more value to consumers,” Bruce Thorn, president & CEO of Big Lots, said in a statement. “For anyone who has missed their last opportunity to redeem one of these coupons, Big Lots is opening our doors to help you save on your entire purchase. This special offer can be used to purchase an assortment of great items for your home, such as bedding and bath accessories, furniture, décor and more.”

The Container Store is offering 20 percent off of a  single item through May 31 for customers who present a Bed Bath & Beyond blue coupon at the register.

Big Lots and The Container Store are looking to gain the attention of Bed Bath & Beyond’s faithful in a market with many others competing for the same customers.

A pulse survey of 500 verified Bed Bath & Beyond customers by Numerator found that 61 percent are upset about its plans to close (20 percent are very upset). These shoppers said they were customers at the chain because of its product selection (59 percent), deals (56 percent), prices (31 percent) and store location (28 percent).

Bed Bath & Beyond’s customers have plenty of choices when it comes to where they take their business, with Amazon.com (68 percent), Target (58 percent), Walmart (48 percent), Home Goods (34 percent), At Home (12 percent), Macy’s (10 percent), Wayfair (five percent), Crate & Barrel (three percent), Williams-Sonoma (three percent), Overstock (two percent) and Nordstrom (two percent) getting mentions as likely destinations.

Numerator’s survey respondents may have most frequently mentioned Amazon, but Target was the winner when asked about specific categories. The retailer was at the top of the most frequently mentioned retailers in kitchen & dining products, small appliances, decor, health & beauty, bathroom, storage & organization and bedding categories.

BrainTrust

“This is guerrilla marketing at its finest.”

Georganne Bender

Principal, KIZER & BENDER Speaking


“Accepting the coupons is the cost of acquisition for these new customers. Twenty percent discount on one item is not a high cost of acquisition. Go for it!”

Bob Amster

Principal, Retail Technology Group


“While I don’t see the assortments as an exact match, they overlap enough. The PR value alone probably makes it worthwhile.”

James Tenser

Retail Tech Marketing Strategist | B2B Expert Storytelling™ Guru | President, VSN Media LLC

Discussion Questions

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How effective will Big Lots and The Container Store be with their Bed Bath & Beyond coupon promos? Which retailer has the proper product selection, deals, prices and location mix to capture most Bed Bath & Beyond customers? 

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How effective will Big Lots and The Container Store be with their Bed Bath & Beyond coupon promos?

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15 responses to “Will Big Lots and The Container Store Make Bed Bath & Beyond Coupons Work For Them?”

  1. Georganne Bender Avatar
    Georganne Bender

    This is guerrilla marketing at its finest. Back in the day when a store went out of business competitors hurried to be the first to get the closed store’s phone number reconnected to their store. This is kind of the same thing. It’s a rare goodwill PR move that will benefit The Container Store, Big Lots AND consumers.

  2. Gene Detroyer Avatar
    Gene Detroyer

    New customer acquisition is the most expensive endeavor. A 20 percent discount is a cheap way to go. Even if they keep 20 percent of those new customers, this generates a great future ROI.

    In addition to new customers discovering The Container Store and Big Lots, shoppers will easily transition to Amazon, Walmart, and Target.

  3. Bob Amster Avatar
    Bob Amster

    The demise of Bed Bath & Beyond, plus the proliferation of its coupons among a large constituency, present other retailers (these two in particular) with the opportunity to gain new customers. Accepting Bed Bath & Beyond’s coupons can introduce the many former Bed Bath & Beyond customers to these two retailers. Accepting the coupons is the cost of acquisition for these new customers. Twenty percent discount on one item is not a high cost of acquisition. Go for it!

  4. Mark Self Avatar
    Mark Self

    This is a classic customer acquisition strategy/tactic, and I love it! One retailer going out of business creates opportunities for others and I love the decision by both of these brands to proactively go after these customers. Having said that, I do not think either of these has the perfect merchandise mix, but they both have the right price points. My guess is they will evaluate the success of this campaign and (perhaps) decide to increase their item selection in order to grab more business. Good luck to both of them!

  5. Allison McCabe Avatar
    Allison McCabe

    While the purist in me says that The Container Store is a far cry from Bed Bath & Beyond, traffic is traffic. Big Lots is a no-brainer. As long as the coupon push doesn’t become a constant, there will be wins for the businesses and discoveries for the consumer.

  6. Jenn McMillen Avatar
    Jenn McMillen

    Next step for Big Lots and The Container Store: tie sign-up for their marketing lists with a sweet welcome gift to Bed Bath & Beyond coupon use. This will further cement the new relationship. I love opportunistic marketing!

  7. Gary Sankary Avatar
    Gary Sankary

    Wow, great idea. This benefits Bed Bath & Beyond customers, and I think they’re likely to respond. Both companies will likely realize some lift from this and, more importantly, will appreciate incremental growth in new customers.

  8. Brandon Rael Avatar
    Brandon Rael

    The short-term gain and goodwill extended to the Big Lots and The Container Store customers by those retailers accepting the Bed Bath & Beyond coupons is worth it and is a brilliant marketing strategy. While the inevitable has come for Bed Bath & Beyond, the company has been losing significant market share for years to The Container Store, Target, Walmart, Amazon, and others.

    While this will not change the competitive landscape significantly for either Big Lots or The Container Store, the goodwill and empathy come when consumers face financial chaos, employment uncertainties, inflationary pressures, and global crises. This is a no-brainer and a win-win for both brands.

  9. Richard Hernandez Avatar
    Richard Hernandez

    This is a great idea. I think it’s a good investment to introduce Bed Bath & Beyond customers to what are possibly new retailers for them, with the hope that it will build loyalty and that they will continue to shop there. The Container Store is definitely a winner here. Big Lots — I am curious to see their ROI.

  10. Richard J. George, Ph.D. Avatar
    Richard J. George, Ph.D.

    This is a terrific move by these two retailers. Not only does it contribute to an immediate customer acquisition, it generates long-term goodwill for both retailers. Not to mention the free PR (RetailWire is an example) this move generates.

  11. Paula Rosenblum Avatar
    Paula Rosenblum

    Echoing the voice of the crowd, it’s a great idea. Too bad some of us (like me) have thrown away their piles of coupons, since they were just a little late with this announcement.

    Big Lots has a lot of drek, but The Container Store is golden. I would have definitely used them there. They’ll get the low end at Big Lots and the higher end at The Container Store.

    Excellent move.

  12. David Fischer Avatar
    David Fischer

    The bigger opportunity might be Buy Buy Baby. While the need for that product line is short-lived, it’s very targeted, people spend a lot on getting ready for newborns, and the competition is less. Target and Walmart are probably best suited to take that business but others could step up their game with promos and improved selection.

  13. Craig Sundstrom Avatar
    Craig Sundstrom

    Of course at the end there weren’t a lot of BBB customers left to collect its coupons, but oh well…. I would call this a low risk/low reward program, and it’s effectively limited to the short term, as “supply (of coupons) is limited”.
    Former customers will likely disperse to multiple competitors…there’s no reason to think any one of them will get a lion’s share.

  14. James Tenser Avatar
    James Tenser

    Shrewd moves by Big Lots and The Container Store to drive trial visits from BB&B customers. While I don’t see the assortments as an exact match, they overlap enough. The PR value alone probably makes it worthwhile.
    Just spotted an item that says Boscov’s, the department store chain based in Pennsylvania has also announced it will accept the coupons for a limited time. https://www.inquirer.com/news/boscovs-bed-bath-and-beyond-coupons-20230428.html
    I wonder if At Home will follow suit.

  15. Shep Hyken Avatar
    Shep Hyken

    This a quick and inexpensive way to pick up new customers. The BB&B brand will leave a void in the marketplace that other retailers selling similar products can take advantage of – if they do it right. In short, this could be a BIG opportunity for BB&B competitors.

    On a different topic, I predict we won’t see the end of BB&B. They will come back – either restructured or with new ownership. This is a recognized and loved brand by many.

15 Comments
oldest
newest
Georganne Bender
Georganne Bender
3 months ago

This is guerrilla marketing at its finest. Back in the day when a store went out of business competitors hurried to be the first to get the closed store’s phone number reconnected to their store. This is kind of the same thing. It’s a rare goodwill PR move that will benefit The Container Store, Big Lots AND consumers.

Gene Detroyer
Gene Detroyer
3 months ago

New customer acquisition is the most expensive endeavor. A 20 percent discount is a cheap way to go. Even if they keep 20 percent of those new customers, this generates a great future ROI.

In addition to new customers discovering The Container Store and Big Lots, shoppers will easily transition to Amazon, Walmart, and Target.

Bob Amster
Bob Amster
3 months ago

The demise of Bed Bath & Beyond, plus the proliferation of its coupons among a large constituency, present other retailers (these two in particular) with the opportunity to gain new customers. Accepting Bed Bath & Beyond’s coupons can introduce the many former Bed Bath & Beyond customers to these two retailers. Accepting the coupons is the cost of acquisition for these new customers. Twenty percent discount on one item is not a high cost of acquisition. Go for it!

Mark Self
Mark Self
3 months ago

This is a classic customer acquisition strategy/tactic, and I love it! One retailer going out of business creates opportunities for others and I love the decision by both of these brands to proactively go after these customers. Having said that, I do not think either of these has the perfect merchandise mix, but they both have the right price points. My guess is they will evaluate the success of this campaign and (perhaps) decide to increase their item selection in order to grab more business. Good luck to both of them!

Allison McCabe
Allison McCabe
3 months ago

While the purist in me says that The Container Store is a far cry from Bed Bath & Beyond, traffic is traffic. Big Lots is a no-brainer. As long as the coupon push doesn’t become a constant, there will be wins for the businesses and discoveries for the consumer.

Jenn McMillen
Jenn McMillen
3 months ago

Next step for Big Lots and The Container Store: tie sign-up for their marketing lists with a sweet welcome gift to Bed Bath & Beyond coupon use. This will further cement the new relationship. I love opportunistic marketing!

Gary Sankary
Gary Sankary
3 months ago

Wow, great idea. This benefits Bed Bath & Beyond customers, and I think they’re likely to respond. Both companies will likely realize some lift from this and, more importantly, will appreciate incremental growth in new customers.

Brandon Rael
Brandon Rael
3 months ago

The short-term gain and goodwill extended to the Big Lots and The Container Store customers by those retailers accepting the Bed Bath & Beyond coupons is worth it and is a brilliant marketing strategy. While the inevitable has come for Bed Bath & Beyond, the company has been losing significant market share for years to The Container Store, Target, Walmart, Amazon, and others.

While this will not change the competitive landscape significantly for either Big Lots or The Container Store, the goodwill and empathy come when consumers face financial chaos, employment uncertainties, inflationary pressures, and global crises. This is a no-brainer and a win-win for both brands.

Richard Hernandez
Richard Hernandez
3 months ago

This is a great idea. I think it’s a good investment to introduce Bed Bath & Beyond customers to what are possibly new retailers for them, with the hope that it will build loyalty and that they will continue to shop there. The Container Store is definitely a winner here. Big Lots — I am curious to see their ROI.

Richard J. George, Ph.D.
Richard J. George, Ph.D.
3 months ago

This is a terrific move by these two retailers. Not only does it contribute to an immediate customer acquisition, it generates long-term goodwill for both retailers. Not to mention the free PR (RetailWire is an example) this move generates.

Paula Rosenblum
Paula Rosenblum
3 months ago

Echoing the voice of the crowd, it’s a great idea. Too bad some of us (like me) have thrown away their piles of coupons, since they were just a little late with this announcement.

Big Lots has a lot of drek, but The Container Store is golden. I would have definitely used them there. They’ll get the low end at Big Lots and the higher end at The Container Store.

Excellent move.

David Fischer
David Fischer
3 months ago

The bigger opportunity might be Buy Buy Baby. While the need for that product line is short-lived, it’s very targeted, people spend a lot on getting ready for newborns, and the competition is less. Target and Walmart are probably best suited to take that business but others could step up their game with promos and improved selection.

Craig Sundstrom
Craig Sundstrom
3 months ago

Of course at the end there weren’t a lot of BBB customers left to collect its coupons, but oh well…. I would call this a low risk/low reward program, and it’s effectively limited to the short term, as “supply (of coupons) is limited”.
Former customers will likely disperse to multiple competitors…there’s no reason to think any one of them will get a lion’s share.

James Tenser
James Tenser
3 months ago

Shrewd moves by Big Lots and The Container Store to drive trial visits from BB&B customers. While I don’t see the assortments as an exact match, they overlap enough. The PR value alone probably makes it worthwhile.
Just spotted an item that says Boscov’s, the department store chain based in Pennsylvania has also announced it will accept the coupons for a limited time. https://www.inquirer.com/news/boscovs-bed-bath-and-beyond-coupons-20230428.html
I wonder if At Home will follow suit.

Shep Hyken
Shep Hyken
3 months ago

This a quick and inexpensive way to pick up new customers. The BB&B brand will leave a void in the marketplace that other retailers selling similar products can take advantage of – if they do it right. In short, this could be a BIG opportunity for BB&B competitors.

On a different topic, I predict we won’t see the end of BB&B. They will come back – either restructured or with new ownership. This is a recognized and loved brand by many.