Bed Bath & Beyond said on Aug. 20 that its brick-and-mortar comeback will bypass California, ending any plan to reopen or operate physical stores in the nation’s most-populous state after the retailer’s 2023 liquidation. Executive Chairman Marcus Lemonis called California “one of the most overregulated, expensive and risky environments for businesses,” pointing to higher taxes, fees and wages that the company “simply cannot sustain.” Shoppers in the state will be served online, with delivery promised within 24 to 48 hours. The move follows the Aug. 8 opening of a Bed Bath & Beyond Home store in Nashville and a strategy to launch roughly 300 small-to-mid-size neighborhood locations across the country, many through converting existing Kirkland’s outlets owned by parent company Beyond Inc.’s Brand House Collective. Bed Bath & Beyond once operated 41 stores in California before shuttering the chain during Chapter 11 proceedings in July 2023. Governor Gavin Newsom’s press office dismissed the latest announcement, while Lemonis insisted the decision “isn’t about politics—it’s about reality” and said the company could reconsider if state conditions improve.