Speaker A

Bed Bath and Beyond plans to launch a nationwide franchise system, according to Chain Storage.

Speaker A

The company, which also owns Overstock, Bye Bye Baby and a blockchain asset portfolio, said it plans to launch a national franchise system that will allow Bed, Bath and Beyond to operate a smaller footprint of corporate stores nationwide along with a complementary franchise network.

Speaker A

Franchise documentation is expected to be finalized within the next six months and franchise locations will feature turnkey formats of a traditional Bed, Bath and Beyond, including home kitchen, living storage and organization, and a holiday shop, all designed with a neighborhood feel.

Speaker A

Chris, would you advise people to rush out and invest in opening a Bed, Bath and Beyond franchise store?

Speaker B

Candidly and no.

Speaker B

I think, I think this is the single.

Speaker B

I'm going to, I'm going to go, I'm going to go on a massive rant here.

Speaker B

I think this is the single dumbest idea I've ever heard of in the history of this show, of eight years of doing this show, I think this is the single dumbest idea I've ever heard of.

Speaker B

Buyer beware, folks.

Speaker B

That's all I've got to say.

Speaker B

I wouldn't touch a Bed Bath and Beyond franchise and with a 10 foot pole for all the reasons I feel like for, if you've been with us for a long time, for all the reasons we've talked about ad nauseum, you know, I mean, Bed Bath and Beyond just went bankrupt, for crying out loud.

Speaker B

I can't even believe this is an actual story when I get down to things.

Speaker B

So, like, what evidence is there that the leadership at Bed Bath and Beyond knows how to rinse and repeat a going concern, Home furnishings, retail operation.

Speaker B

There's zero evidence of that, people.

Speaker B

The space is just too competitive.

Speaker B

And the reason Bed Bath and Beyond went bankrupt, for those that may not remember, but I'm sure you do because it just happened, is because it doesn't have a reason for being in the market.

Speaker B

It's too competitive.

Speaker B

So no.

Speaker B

And I am selling this harder than a thousand thread count sheets.

Speaker B

That's, that's, that's my take here.

Speaker A

I was trying to find some purpose in this.

Speaker A

I'm, I was trying to dig and it took me a lot.

Speaker A

I was really, really stretching, trying to think like, is there like operational things?

Speaker A

Like maybe if I'm an independent, you know, home furnishings bedding retailer in a small town, like this gives me access to point of sale system.

Speaker A

It gives me access to maybe a marketplace play down the road, I don't know.

Speaker A

However, then I'm like, there's Shopify, like there's A lot of other ways that as a retailer, as an independent retailer right now, I'm set up to succeed.

Speaker A

And then I think about again, like, how much search with a large language model is going to impact where people are shopping.

Speaker A

And do you still need a Bed Bath and Beyond platform to like, help you show up better in search results?

Speaker A

I don't think that is the case.

Speaker A

I think like there's other platforms that are much more accessible to independent retailers to help them be successful, especially from a technology standpoint, than buying a franchise on top of all of that.

Speaker A

So I, I, I don't understand Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Speaker A

I'm really curious to see what kind of adoption they get and who those retailers are.

Speaker A

So that's what I'm going to be watching.

Speaker A

Like who, who makes this move and decides to do this and why?

Speaker A

Like what, what benefit are they getting from it?

Speaker B

Yeah, you're just throwing your money away, in my opinion.

Speaker B

So I'm curious.

Speaker B

And before we move on, like in the history of bad ideas of the show for you, is this like top 10% of all time bad ideas on the show, you know, in the middle of the bell curve, like, am I over exaggerating it or are you kind of on the same page as me?

Speaker A

I mean, people are going to do it.

Speaker A

So that's what, that's again why I said, I mean, they wouldn't be doing this if they didn't have a few fish on the line.

Speaker A

Like, I think, I think that that's, that's why I said like that to me doesn't make sense as an independent business owner who has franchise something, like, I would not be buying this, I would not be investing in it because there's not enough return.

Speaker A

But some people are going to.

Speaker A

And that's what I want to focus on.

Speaker A

Why and what benefit do you see this is going to bring you?

Speaker B

Yeah, I don't know.

Speaker B

I'm super skeptical that anyone's going to buy into this.

Speaker B

At least I hope not.

Speaker B

But anyway.

Speaker B

But you know the guy, the guy running Bed Bath and Beyond, he's a, he's a slick dealer for sure.