Kroger & Bed Bath & Beyond Collaborate, BB&B Realigns Leadership
The Kroger Co. and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. are collaborating to offer home and baby products carried by Bed Bath & Beyond through Kroger’s website, as well as a small-scale physical store pilot at some of the grocer's stores next year.
In addition to the partnership, Bed Bath & Beyond announced the launch of its new digital marketplace and that it's realigning its organizational infrastructure and refreshing its leadership team, a move that includes new roles for Anu Gupta and Rafeh Masood.
"Every day, we look for new and differentiated ways and experiences to meet our customers evolving needs and elevate and celebrate the moments that matter most to our customers,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. “As an illustration, Bed Bath & Beyond has a compelling portfolio of products that complement the items our customers already love to shop. This strategic online collaboration and in-store pilot will provide Kroger shoppers easy access to essential home and baby products alongside their favorite grocery staples – continuing to fulfill our commitment of providing our customers with anything, anytime, anywhere."
The multi-category omnichannel collaboration will include popular items – from bedding and storage to baby furniture and gear – from Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy Baby's assortment, including both private labels and national brands. Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy Baby products will launch on Kroger.com by early 2022. The e-commerce venture will be enabled by Kroger's Ship marketplace. A branded shop-in-shop experience pilot in select stores will follow.
"Our collaboration with an exceptional retailer like Kroger underscores Bed Bath & Beyond's authority in the home and baby categories," said Mark Tritton, Bed Bath & Beyond's President and CEO. "Today's announcement is a key milestone, bringing Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy Baby products to reach more customers than ever before. Our product assortment combined with Kroger's customer base will present extensive opportunities for current and future customers."
Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy Baby products will launch on Kroger.com by early 2022. The e-commerce venture will be enabled by Kroger's Ship marketplace. A branded shop-in-shop experience pilot in select stores will follow.
Bed Bath & Beyond Marketplace Launch & Leadership Changes
Bed Bath & Beyond’s new digital marketplace focuses on the home & baby categories. The marketplace will expand the retailer’s assortment of key products from a highly curated selection of third-party brand partners that will be seamlessly integrated into the Bed Bath & Beyond digital platform.
To further enable its “transformation” through these growth partnerships, such as the above Kroger partnership, Bed Bath & Beyond is refreshing its leadership team.
Anu Gupta has been named to a newly created role of chief growth officer. This position will focus on internal and external growth opportunities. In her new role, Gupta will be working cross-functionally to continue managing the company's business transformation. She will be responsible for driving growth through the development and incubation of strategic partnerships and management of an increasingly expanding revenue ecosystem, while helping maintain the core business.
"With these sales channel expansions, it is necessary to evolve our organizational structure to align with our ongoing transformation,” said Tritton. “As part of that evolution, we are thrilled to promote Anu Gupta into an expanded role. As an instrumental driver of our new Kroger collaboration, Anu's impressive background and business acumen, visionary ideas, and successful tracking of our transformation management will help lead our team into the future."
Previously, Gupta served as Bed Bath & Beyond's chief strategy and transformation officer since September 2020, leading Bed Bath & Beyond's comprehensive strategy and transformation program and helping to modernize the company's operating model. Prior to Bed Bath and Beyond, Gupta held senior-level operational roles at Target, private equity firm Hellman & Friedman LLC, and The Michaels Companies, Inc., among others.
Rafeh Masood has been named chief customer officer, also a newly created role combining his digital and brand roles. He is currently chief digital officer & interim chief brand officer.
Both appointments are effective immediately and will report to Tritton. John Hartmann, Bed Bath & Beyond's chief operating officer and president of buybuy Baby will be responsible for partnership execution, in addition to his leadership across IT and supply chain.
"Rafeh and John have been influential leaders as we have pivoted our business strategically and operationally as an omnichannel retailer,” Tritton said. “Many of the transformational improvements and capabilities across our digital platforms and supply chain have been a result of both Rafeh's and John's invaluable leadership and their new and expanded roles will lead to greater synergy between our business roadmap and customer approach. I am thrilled to see us structuring and driving our business in bold ways through our talent, strategy and execution.”