The home furnishings giant Bed, Bath & Beyond is apparently pulling the curtains on its retail operations in Burlington.
The chain’s store in the University Commons shopping center is one of more than 200 locations of Bed, Bath & Beyond that appear on a newly-released schedule of closures on the company’s website. This list, which is current as of February 7, also includes four other North Carolina stores in Raleigh, Gastonia, Greenville, and Hickory.
The company’s headquarters in Union, New Jersey issued a statement earlier this month to explain the overall strategy behind these forthcoming closures.
“The company has initiated incremental store closures in its Bed, Bath & Beyond banner with an ultimate operating goal of approximately 360 stores…across the U.S.” the company states in a news release dated February 7. “This target store base includes the company’s most profitable locations and best geographic presence for customers that can enable an optimal omni-experience.”
Bed, Bath & Beyond has been part of the University Commons shopping center ever since this retail development, which is anchored by Target, opened its doors in 2005. In fact, both Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond were among the who’s who of national retailers that announced their commitment to University Commons even before the shopping center’s approval by Burlington’s municipal leaders.
These early declarations ultimately helped University Commons secure a nod from Burlington’s city council in 2004, despite stiff opposition from neighbors, as well as a competing project favored by the city’s planning department.
This rival endeavor, which had been courting many of the same retailers as University Commons, was later retooled to become the sprawling nearby retail Mecca now known as Alamance Crossing.
