Buy Buy Baby is being reborn under new ownership.
The retail planned to reopen 11 stores the weekend of Nov. 17, roughly four months after leases for those locations were acquired by Piscataway, New Jersey-based Dream on Me Industries. Four of the revived Buy Buy Baby locations are in New Jersey, two are in New York and the rest are in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia.
The specialty baby-goods chain was shuttered and all its brick-and-mortar locations closed, when its parent, Union, New Jersey-based Bed Bath & Beyond, liquidated earlier this year after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Leases and intellectual property rights for both chains went up for sale. In Buy Buy Baby's case, Dream on Me — one of the retailer's suppliers — forked over $15.5 million for its IP rights, trademark and digital rights first. It subsequently bid just over $1 million to acquire 11 of the chain's store leases.
Buy Buy Baby is the latest defunct retailer attempting to make a comeback after liquidating following a bankruptcy proceeding, including one that's a direct competitor. In 2018, in the wake of Toys R Us filing for Chapter 11, the toy seller and its Babies R Us chain were shuttered. But the new owner of those two brands, WHP Global, is reviving both of those chains. Toys R Us now has a flagship store at the American Dream megamall in East Rutherford, New Jersey; has opened in-store shops at Macy's; and plans to launch a fleet of stores next year across the country, as well as opening retail locations at airports and on cruise ships. And in July, WHP opened a Babies R Us flagship at American Dream, as well.
Buy Buy Baby said it planned to reopen its doors with store-celebration events and its online platform will also be relaunching.
Customers were expected to get their "first look" at the revamped stores" featuring "the latest and greatest curated assortment and an elevated shopping experience," Buy Buy Baby CEO Pete Daleiden said in a statement.
"Parents and caregivers can engage with their favorite brands and receive trusted expert advice to find the right product to make their parenting journey joyful and easier," Daleiden said.
The CEO couldn't be reached for comment Friday.
New parents and those who are expecting, along with their friends and family can try out baby gear and other products through demonstrations and hands-on activities at Buy Buy Baby, according to the retailer. Baby and parenting experts will be on hand to discuss topics such as car-seat selection and safety, nursing and feeding preparation, and postpartum recovery, Buy Buy Baby said of the events. Customers will be able to create their baby registry and scan to add items directly from their smartphones.
Dream on Me is a supplier of such products as cribs, mattresses and baby gear to retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Kohl's, Target and Wayfair. Its brands include Dream On Me, Evolur Baby, Sweetpea Baby, TailZzz, Hannah & Sophia, and Slumber Baby.
The reopened Buy Buy Baby stores are at:
- 1445 New Britain Ave., West Hartford, Connecticut.
- 501 W. Main St., Newark, Delaware.
- 1683 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland.
- 160 Granite St., Braintree, Massachusetts.
- 711 Route 28, Bridgewater, New Jersey.
- 1590 Kings Highway N, Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
- 34 E. Ridgewood Ave. Paramus, New Jersey.
- 675 U.S. Highway 1 S, Woodbridge, New Jersey.
- 1261 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst, New York.
- 1019 Central Park Ave., Scarsdale, New York.
- 6398 Springfield Plaza, Springfield, Virginia.