NJ retailer may be gone soon, but might survive as a zombie brand

The time is ticking for New Jersey-based retailer, Bed Bath and Beyond. Soon, all of its retail locations will close up and its physical stores will become nothing but a memory.

But will the name completely disappear for good? Well, maybe not. And it wouldn't be the first retailer to become a zombie brand in New Jersey, either.

For those that might be unfamiliar with what a zombie brand is, it's essentially when a brand name continues to survive even after its physical locations have gone out of business. And it appears this might be the case here.

According to Business Insider, "Bed Bath & Beyond will live on — in name at least — following a $21.5 million deal with Overstock.com to purchase the iconic houseware giant's brand assets." In other words, the brand may still be around in some form after the last physical retail location shuts its doors.

Other examples of zombie brands include Radio Shack and Circuit City, both of which once thrived in New Jersey with stores found all throughout the Garden State. If plans for the future of Bed Bath and Beyond come to fruition, it too will become one of the many brands to join that very unique list.

And we're very fortunate that this New Jersey-based brand will have a shot to live on in some fashion. Unfortunately, not every popular retailer that goes out of business ends up surviving as a zombie brand.

Most of these retailers, many of which once thrived in New Jersey, are prime examples whose brands simply disappeared once their physical locations or headquarters closed for the last time. Not all, but most.

Bed Bath and Beyond

As we all know by now, New Jersey-based retailer Bed Bath and Beyond will be joining this list in 2023. But as noted earlier, the brand itself might still be around in the form of a zombie brand.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.