All buybuy Baby Stores Are Closing — And Liquidation Sales Are Now 10% - 40% Off

When Bed Bath & Beyond announced that they had filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 23 and would close all stores by June 30, many people glossed over the fact that this decision also impacted buybuy Baby stores, which Bed Bath & Beyond owns. With the bankruptcy filing, they’ve confirmed that all 122 buybuy Baby stores in 37 states will close. And the buybuy Baby liquidation sale — yes, this means deep discounts on all things baby — started in stores on April 26. On April 28, everything in the store went to 10% off, with clothing 20% off and safety (including humidifiers, cabinet locks and monitors) at 30% off. However, on May 7, 2023, all safety items went to 40% off in stores, and that includes body pillows, Snuggle Me sleepers, baby gates, safety locks, humidifiers, and sound machines.

At my store in New Jersey, all diapers, wipes and baby food were cleared out within the first two days — with more flying off the shelves (since those items were excluded from the famed 20% off coupon, people understandably stocked up on them at 10% off as soon as they could). It’s important to remember that all sales are final at this point, and you can’t use any coupons on purchases. However, you can use your buybuy Baby gift cards by May 8, 2023. We are not seeing the same deals offered online, so in-store is where you can get the savings.

There are a lot of unanswered questions surrounding the buybuy Baby closing news. For parents-to-be who currently have a baby registry with buybuy Baby, where will your registry information get moved to? What types of deep discounts can you expect to come during buybuy Baby’s liquidation sale, and is 10% off really a good deal? To be clear, it’s only a deal if that item or brand was excluded from the regular 20% off coupon before (full list below!), and furniture at buybuy Baby was never 20% off, same with UPPAbaby products, so to shop 10% off on certain items are a win.

Here’s everything to know about buybuy Baby closing, their liquidation sales, and how to save.

For more smart shopping tips and savings hacks, text HACKS to 57299.

 

1. Buybuy Baby will close all 122 of their store locations nationwide by June 30, 2023.

After first opening their doors way back in 1996, buybuy Baby will soon close their 122 store locations nationwide. Here’s what’s posted on their website as of April 23, 2023:

• “Thank you to all of our loyal customers. We have made the difficult decision to begin winding down our operations.”

Just like Bed Bath & Beyond, it’s the end of an era for buybuy Baby, too, and I still don’t think their coupons are to blame.

But know this: if a last-minute buyer steps in to purchase the buybuy Baby brand, it could halt the buybuy Baby store closures. For now, that hasn’t happened, and liquidation sales are starting on April 26.

Related: How to Save During Bed Bath & Beyond’s Liquidation Sale

 

2. Your buybuy Baby registry will likely go to Babylist or another one of their competitors.

As soon as I heard that stores would soon close, I got curious where all the buybuy Baby registries would end up.

According to the company’s official statement, “Your registry data is safe and you can still view your registry at this time.” They also said they “expect to partner with an alternative platform where you will be able to transfer your data and complete your registry.”

But so far they haven’t announced where the registries are going just yet. I inquired at my local buybuy Baby about starting a new registry and three store associates, including the store manager, couldn’t confirm who would handle the buybuy Baby registries after June 30 when stores close. “We don’t know that yet,” they told me.

I did a little research and have a hunch that Babylist, Pottery Barn, and a bunch of other competitors are trying hard to get buybuy Baby’s registry list — or at least to get you in the meantime. (When I Googled “buybuy Baby registry,” both Babylist and Pottery Barn showed up as a sponsored search result, which means they’re both paying to acquire buybuy Baby customers right now.)

In the meantime, you could always transfer your items to one of these baby registries that aren’t going away anytime soon:

• Amazon — includes a free welcome box with up to $35 worth of baby samples
• Babylist — you get a free Hello Baby Box if you purchase $10 or more from the Babylist store
• Crate and Kids — get a 15% completion discount on any remaining items
• Target — includes a free welcome kit with up to $100 in free samples and offers
• Walmart — comes with a free welcome box worth up to $40
• Land of Nod, Nordstrom, and Pottery Barn Kids also offer baby registries if you’re looking for another option.

 

3. Buybuy Baby coupons can’t be used anymore — but you can redeem any Welcome rewards until May 15.

If you were hoping to save on a baby item with a 20% off coupon at buybuy Baby, the store’s FAQ explains that “we will stop accepting coupons on April 26, 2023, when we will start our store closing sales.” The same goes for the buybuy Baby registry completion discount — unfortunately, that ended April 26, too.

You can redeem your Welcome Rewards until May 15, but the company will no longer award any new Welcome Rewards for future purchases. Welcome Rewards was a free membership program, while Welcome Rewards+ a paid membership ($29/year).

While it’s a bummer that we can’t use coupons during the closing sales, buybuybaby.com states that “customers will be able to shop for your favorite products at deep discounts,” so you can expect some rare savings that will hopefully beat any coupon offers.

Related: Score the best baby gear savings with these latest baby deals.

 

4. The buybuy Baby liquidation sale has started at 10% off everything — but it may reach 90% off while inventory lasts.

Once stores unlocked their doors on April 26, 2023, we called and visited a few to see where the discounts stood. We’ve confirmed that multiple buybuy Baby locations in Iowa, New Jersey, and Florida have started their storewide liquidation discount at 10% off everything.

As we saw during Bed Bath & Beyond’s liquidation sale, discounts will go up to 90% off by the final weeks of the sale, but the good stuff will most likely disappear by then. If buybuy Baby follows the BB&B liquidation calendar I saw last month, new discounts will happen every Wednesday morning.

It will start with everything 10% off, then 20% off, 30%, 40% off, and so on. Certain items may get listed at 40% off from the start, and those items will change weekly as the retailer looks to sell off inventory. By the end, fixtures will even go on sale (shelves, office chairs, you name it), and it’ll be slim pickings on the shelves.

My best advice? Start shopping the discounts early. If you see a stroller or wagon you’ve had your eye on and it’s on sale for 30% off, I would purchase it instead of waiting to see if it drops lower. Don’t forget that buybuy Baby has a ton of other products to save on, including baby food, toddler snacks, ride-on toys, water tables, baby dolls, and books. Besides the baby staples like strollers, car seats, cribs, diapers, bottles, wipes, breast pumps, and medicine kits, I was surprised to see a lot of toddler and kid items, and I made a mental note to come back and shop during the liquidation sale.

In New Jersey, the only sales I saw at buybuy Baby on April 25 were 20% – 40% off certain baby and toddler clothing, but everything else still sat at full price. On May 6, everything in the “safety” category was 40% off and everything else was 10% off.

 

How to put that 10% discount to good use:

We know, the 10% discount isn’t anything to write home about. The 40% off deals are where it’s really at. But hear me out. You know those brands and products that typically got excluded from buybuy Baby coupons? Well now is your time to get them at a 10% discount. So scout out your store for rare discounts on these brands (plus diapers, wipes, formula, and baby food):

• Amazon
• August Home
• Baby Jogger
• Babyletto
• Babyzen
• Bob Gear
• Braun Grooming
• Breville
• Britax
• Bugaboo
• Clek
• Colugo
• Cybex Platinum
• DockATot
• Doona
• Dyson
• Elvie
• Google Nest
• Halo
• Infant Optics
• Joolz
• Maxi-Cosi
• Miele
• Miku
• Motherhood Maternity
• Nanit
• Owlet
• Peg Perego
• Ring
• Silver Cross
• Simplehuman
• Stokke
• Ugg
• UPPAbaby
• Veer
• Willow

The buybuy Baby associate also told me that starting a month before the liquidation sales, Graco items were excluded from the buybuy Baby coupons. So technically, any 10% deal on Graco systems, carseats, or strollers is a deal compared to what was offered at the store pre-liquidation announcement.

 

 

5. Pay attention to the buybuy Baby return policy — all sales are final after April 26.

Need to return an item to buybuy Baby? Here’s the scoop: for anything you purchased from buybuy Baby before April 26, 2023 (the first day of their nationwide liquidation), you have until May 24 to make your returns following the normal policy.

But here’s the important change: anything you bought on or after April 26 will now be considered final sale — meaning no returns, exchanges, or refunds. When you buy something, your cashier will highlight the receipt that all sales are FINAL.

 

6. You can only use buybuy Baby gift cards until May 8, 2023.

You’ll only have until May 8, 2023, to use your buybuy Baby gift cards, so use them up while you still can. After that, they’ll be worth nothing and unusable.

 

7. Expect recent in-stock purchases to get delivered as planned.

Already purchased an item from buybuy Baby but have yet to receive it? Don’t worry. If your items were in stock at the time you made your purchase, you can expect your order to get delivered to you like normal, as planned.

 

8. Need to test out baby gear before you buy? Go to Target, Nordstrom, or Walmart instead.

With Babies R Us having closed all locations in 2018 and now buybuy Baby planning their closure in 2023, the in-store options for new parents to test out baby gear IRL are dwindling.

Rather than just reading online reviews, you can still test out baby gear at department stores like Nordstrom and Macy’s. Otherwise, plan to head to Target or Walmart to get your hands on things like strollers or highchairs before committing.

 

Best Tips for Shopping BBB Liquidation Sales

1. Look for the deals at 30-40% off — those are the best deals right now, although they are limited.

The entire Safety department is 40% off, so here’s your chance to stock up on baby safety items, including video monitors, humidifiers, baby gates, baby snugglers and pregnancy body pillows. At my store, the Snuggle Me was a popular item at $66, down from original price of $109.

 

2. Sound machines are a deal at 40% off, so grab one while you can.

Sound machines are a must-have for new parents (trust me on this). At 40% off, these are a deal. For example, the YogaSleep Dohm Natural Sound Machine & Hushh Compact Sound Machine is to down $35.99 (reg $59.99) at BBB. On Amazon, it’s $56.94.

 

3. Stock up on baby food, toddler snacks and more at 10% off — those were never included in the 20% off coupon.

Most of the food and baby food shelves were empty, since people had stocked up on diapers, wipes, and baby food during the first day of the liquidation sale, but some formula, snacks and baby food were left. Since those items were never accepted on the coupon, a deal at 10% is better than before. This is where I saw the most movement from shoppers!

 

4. Check out CityJogger and UPPABaby deals — those were excluded from coupon discounts before.

My store had floor models left for UPPAbaby strollers and carseats, and plenty of CityJogger left at 10% off. Floor models are also all on sale at 10% off, and there are plenty of store associates to help. While items are final sale and no returns, carseat and stroller warranties are in effect, thankfully. With the discounts offered at my store, the Mesa carseat and base was going down to a final sale of $251.99.

My store also had the popular VISTA V2 stroller in stock. Regularly priced at $999, the final price came down to $899 with the 10% off, a savings of $100.

 

5. Skip toy sales at 10% off — they’re not worth it.

While it may be tempting to get Step2 toys and Barbie dollhouses for 10% off with the bright, flashy signs, many of these items were included in the 20% coupon offer, so 10% isn’t a deal. Wait for those to get to the 30% off markdowns before you purchase.

 

6. Consider Graco products at the 10% off discount — about a month before the liquidation sales, Graco was excluded from the 20% off BBB coupon.

A store manager confirmed to me that Graco was added to the buybuy Baby coupon exclusion list about a month before the liquidation sale began, so 10% off Graco gear is worth grabbing. The Graco Pack and Play is down to $296 from $329, with a savings of $32.90. That’s cheaper than Amazon and Kohl’s right now.

 

7. Cribs and all nursery furniture were never included in the 20% off coupon, so it’s worthwhile getting them at 10% off.

As the liquidation sale go on, furniture options at buybuy Baby get slimmer. That’s because baby furniture was never excluded in the 20% off coupon and rarely, if ever, had sales. At my store, cribs, dressers and all baby furniture was going fast.

Important to note that all floor models and furniture is sold “as is” and there are no further discounts. Signs make it clear that the price is marked.

 

8. Car seats are still covered by manufacturer warranties.

Car seats remain at regular prices at buybuy Baby. It’s important to note that all car seats are still covered by their respective manufacturer’s warranty. So if you buy one, you’ll be able to reach out to the company that makes the car seat if you have issues with it.

 

9. Store associates sadly don’t know what sale is next.

Sadly, buybuy Baby team members are kept in the dark until the last minute about the next moves for their stores. One associate told me the liquidation company comes in and hangs the signs, and the staff is unaware what the sales will be that day until they see the signage.

Despite what the store staff is going through, here’s a shout out to all the BBB team members for being so courteous and helpful in what has to be a stressful situation.

 

10. Safety items like the Owlet at 40% off is a bargain.

The Owlet Dream Duo is down to $239, down from $399; the Owlet Dream Sock is down to $179 from $299; and the Owlet Cam 2 Smart HD Video Baby Monitor is down to $95 from a regular price of $159. Since Owlet was a brand excluded from the 20% coupon list, parents finding Owlet items for 40% off is a win.

 

11. Ten percent off savings on feeding supplies can add up fast.

While medical insurances DO cover electric breast pumps for free, unfortunately many insurance companies don’t cover Elvie, the hands-free pump. Right now, in stores, the popular hospital grade electric breast pump comes down to $269 at 10% off, originally priced at $299.

 

12. Boppy Original Nursing Pillow is cheaper at buybuy Baby liquidation sale than Amazon and Target.

Buybuy Baby’s 10% liquidation sale discount on the Boppy Original Nursing Pillow is better savings than you can get at Amazon or Target (even if you paid with a RedCard).

It’s down to $40.49 at buybuy Baby, but $44 at other retailers.

 

13. Expect greater savings in the bath and potty department soon.

Like the toys department, Bath and Potty are still at 10% off, for these pads, that means a buck. With seven weeks until buybuy Baby closes their doors for good, we expect to see greater savings in this department soon. On that note, the buybuy Baby website is empty of products, outside of a few categories like toys, furniture, and car seats, so what’s in-store won’t last long. Here’s a look at prices from other retailers:

• buybuy Baby Frida Baby Potty Mess Mats Disposable, 20 Count, $11.69
• Target: Frida Baby Potty Mess Mats Disposable, 20 Count, $12.34 (with Target RedCard)
• Amazon: Frida Baby Potty Mess Mats, 20 Count, $12.99
• Walmart: Friday Baby Potty Mess Mats, 20 Count, $14.98