Bed Bath & Beyond’s Container Store acquisition echoes past retail mergers that failed to deliver

When Bed Bath & Beyond announced last week it was buying the Container Store for a pittance, CEO Marcus Lemonis touted the deal as a key component of his plan to create a home-oriented conglomerate that includes retail brands, home services, installable products such as flooring and cabinetry, insurance, and more.

“We are building the first Everything Home Company,” he said in a release, explaining that it is “designed to make home ownership and living simpler and more affordable through a disciplined, interconnected ecosystem.