Overstock.com is Back from the Dead

E-commerce giant Overstock.com is making a comeback just a year after its new owners rebranded it as Bed Bath & Beyond. The relaunched Overstock.com will continue to sell a wide range of products, including indoor and outdoor furniture, home improvement tools, and jewelry, with a renewed focus on closeout and liquidation deals. Meanwhile, its sister site will retain the Bed Bath & Beyond name, concentrating on home goods and serving as a hub for wedding and event registries.

In June 2023, Overstock.com rebranded as Bed Bath & Beyond following the purchase of the bankrupt retailer’s brand name and domain by Overstock’s parent company. The corporate entity also changed its name to Beyond Inc. in a bid to leverage Bed Bath & Beyond’s name recognition. However, the rebranding did not resonate with consumers, leading to significant changes within the company’s management.

Marcus Lemonis, CNBC host and CEO of Camping World, was appointed executive chairman of Beyond Inc. in February. He admitted in an earnings call that dropping the Overstock name was a “fatal mistake.” Beyond Inc.’s efforts to introduce new product categories, such as family room furniture and large area rugs, on the Bed Bath & Beyond website failed to attract shoppers, prompting the decision to revive the Overstock brand.

“Those results reaffirmed our conclusion during the quarter that both brands can thrive separately while complementing each other,” Lemonis said in a May earnings call.

Retail analyst Neil Saunders of GlobalData offered a more blunt assessment, stating that the integration of Overstock with the Bed Bath & Beyond brand was “badly botched,” confusing customers and negatively impacting sales. Saunders believes that reviving Overstock will provide a “more logical offer” for shoppers but acknowledges that it will take time to reconnect with them.

“A lot of work is needed to grow Overstock and put the brand back on a stable footing,” Saunders told CNN. “Before the merger, the brand suffered from poor awareness and declining relevancy, and these problems have not yet been fixed. In essence, the brand is weak and has lost share to value-focused retailers like HomeGoods.”

The company hopes that the relaunch of Overstock.com will help restore its position in the e-commerce market and regain consumer trust.