Bed Bath & Beyond continues to develop and expand its AndThat! concept, which evolved from the company’s Christmas Tree Shops banner as a growth vehicle that offers consumers a lively shopping environment and provides the parent company a format that can compete with other treasure hunt-oriented retailers.
The Christmas Tree Shops name is a bit problematic when applied in markets outside of New England, where the chain started. Although Bed Bath & Beyond has expanded Christmas Tree Shops down the eastern seaboard and as far west as Alabama and Indiana, the name can create something of a false impression. Christmas Tree Shops offer more than seasonal products and are competitive with the established off-pricers in the market.
To position the evolving brand identity, Bed Bath & Beyond has developed the AndThat! concept as a retail business that isn’t fixed with a seasonal identification and provides bright and cheerful value-focused merchandise.
In a recent quarterly conference call, Steven Temares, Bed Bath & Beyond CEO, said, “The evolution of the AndThat! concept includes an enhanced mix of trend-right, differentiated merchandise of better quality, design and value, in conjunction with an elevated treasure-hunt experience with more local-resourced product, and enhanced fixtures, lighting and in-store visuals that create a fun and engaging shopping experience for the customer.”
The new 37,000 square foot Woodland Park, NJ, AndThat! store divides into departments with names such as Decorate, with seasonal and other home décor; Entertain, which includes dishware, serveware and related products; Prep, with cookware and kitchen gadgets; Sparkle, which features cleaning and personal care products; and Eat with value-priced specialty foods. The furniture assortment at the Woodland Park store is extensive and offers multiple lighting and furniture presentations including one dubbed Accent.
The mix of home furnishings, housewares and consumables is key to the AndThat! proposition, defining it as a place where shoppers will find a constantly updated range of merchandise.
Of the AndThat! format, Temares noted, “We’re excited by the evolved model and believe it is poised for strong growth in the coming years.”
See the gallery for a tour of the new AndThat! store in Woodland Park, NJ.