Popular Monmouth Big Box Retailer Closing

A New Jersey-based retailer is set to close 200 of its stores nationwide, and unfortunately, one of them is close to home.

The Bed, Bath & Beyond in the Aldrich Shopping Center on Route 9 in Howell is on the list of 63 stores to shutter.

It's worth mentioning that according to USA Today, the named stores, including Howell, will be closing by the end of the year. So, there's still time to stock up.

In a statement given to USA Today, a spokesperson gave the usual response to shutting locations.

As we rebuild our authority and establish a truly omni-always shopping experience for our customers, we recently announced a store optimization plan that will see us establish the right network of stores to serve our customers.

What the heck is a "truly omni-always shopping experience?" I digress.

Bed, Bath & Beyond, like many retailers are planning for the future and putting their focus on what they are calling "digital-first" customers.

Do I shop online 95% of the time? Yes. But there are times when walking up and down aisles is a good thing. That's why this and the many other closings have bummed me out.

I know it's easy to blame COVID, but temporary store shutdowns have not helped businesses big and small.

According to a report from Coresight Research, another 25,000 stores could close by the end of 2020.