Overstock.com, Inc. × Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.
In a bankruptcy auction, online retailer Overstock.com acquired the intellectual property and digital assets of Bed Bath & Beyond for $21.5 million. [32, 51] The deal, approved by the court in late June 2023, specifically included the brand name, business data, and customer information but excluded all physical stores. [35, 36] Overstock subsequently rebranded its own online operations under the Bed Bath & Beyond name. [38]
The asset
The intellectual property and certain digital assets of the Bed Bath & Beyond banner, including the brand name, business data, customer database, and loyalty program information. [35, 36]
The record
- Seller status
- Chapter 11
- Sector
- home goods retail
- Modalities
- customer_database, trademarks, domain_names
- Jurisdiction
- US
- Docket
- 23-13359
- Personal data
- The buyer reactivated the seller's loyalty program, implying a transfer and use of personal customer data.
What it means if you hold data
This is a clear-cut example of the value ascribed purely to a retail brand's digital presence and customer data, separated from its physical operations. The price provides a benchmark for the worth of a large, well-known consumer database and associated IP in a bankruptcy sale.
Sources
- investors.overstock.com — https://investors.overstock.com/news-releases/news-release-details/overstock-acquires-bed-bath-beyond-brand-and-other
- investors.overstock.com — https://investors.overstock.com/news-releases/news-release-details/overstock-acquires-bed-bath-beyond-brand-and-other-intellectual
- forbes.com — https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2023/06/22/overstock-wins-215-million-bid-for-bed-bath-and-beyond-name/