California Gov. Gavin Newsom's press office took a swipe at Bed, Bath & Beyond after the company announced that it won't return to the Golden State as it begins its rollout of new brick-and-mortar stores.

"After their bankruptcy and closure of every store, like most Americans, we thought Bed, Bath & Beyond no longer existed," Newsom's office posted on social platform X on Wednesday.

"We wish them well in their efforts to become relevant again as they try to open a 2nd store," the account added.

Earlier on Wednesday, Bed, Bath & Beyond announced that it won't open or operate new stores in California because the state has made itself so unwelcoming to businesses.

"This decision isn't about politics — it's about reality," Marcus Lemonis, the company's executive chairman, said in a statement.

"California has created one of the most overregulated, expensive, and risky environments for businesses in America," Lemonis said. "It's a system that makes it harder to employ people, harder to keep doors open, and harder to deliver value to customers.

"The result? Higher taxes, higher fees, higher wages that many businesses simply cannot sustain, and endless regulations that strangle growth," he continued. "Even when the state announces a budget surplus, it's built on the backs of ordinary citizens who are paying too much and businesses who are squeezed until they break."

At its height, Bed, Bath & Beyond operated more than 1,500 stores in the United States. The company filed for bankruptcy in April 2023 and closed all of its remaining 360 stores.

In the time since, Bed, Bath & Beyond has been doing business exclusively online under the slightly different name of Bed Bath & Beyond Home, a venture which has been overseen by Beyond, Inc., and operated in partnership with Kirkland's Home.

The company's first physical store reopening took place on Aug. 8 in Brentwood, Tennessee, and it reportedly has plans to open five more stores in the Nashville area, where its headquarters is located. Additionally, 75 Kirkland's Home stores are set to be converted to Bed Bath & Beyond Home outlets by 2026.

While it does not have plans to open or operate stores in California, Bed, Bath & Beyond said it is "investing in a California strategy that works," which it described as "24–48-hour delivery, and in many cases, same-day service."

"Californians will continue to get the products they love through BedBathandBeyond.com — but without the inflated costs created by an unsustainable model," Lemonis said.

"We're taking a stand because it's time for common sense," he said. "Businesses deserve the chance to succeed. Employees deserve jobs that last. And customers deserve fair prices. California's system delivers the opposite."

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