I went to a doomed Bed Bath & Beyond in my city and found stocked shelves, no deep discounts, and few signs that the end was near

Bed Bath & Beyond filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday, April 23, following a long battle to stay financially afloat.

The move meant that stores that were expected to remain open, like this one in Wisconsin, would begin winding down and prepare to close.

The bankruptcy announcement caught many shoppers and employees by surprise. The company said it would begin store-closing sales on April 26.

This location posted notices at the entrance telling shoppers that coupons and Welcome Rewards would no longer be accepted, as well as informing customers that all sales are final on items bought during the store closing.

Insider arrived at the store shortly after opening on the morning the sale began.

The shelves were generally well-stocked and organized, and didn't indicate the trouble the company is in.

Many items, like these Dyson vacuums, had sale tags when the store opened but it soon became clear that those deals were no longer valid when employees started taking them down.

The clearance section was moderately full, with seasonal items from Valentines Day, Christmas, and Halloween.

A note reminded shoppers that certain price codes meant additional discounts would not be available on some items.

A SodaStream display informed customers that the store would no longer exchange empty CO2 canisters.

The store was busier than normal for a Wednesday morning, and the number of shoppers continued to increase.

One employee said Monday and Tuesday, the first two days after the bankruptcy announcement, had been exceptionally busy.

An early sign of trouble for the company was reported last week: a sharp decline in wedding registries for 2023. The company says customers with outstanding registries will have their orders fulfilled by a third-party platform.

About an hour after opening, employees were pulling red sale tags off of shelves and displays as shoppers browsed the aisles.

For a moment, almost nothing in the store had a discount posted — an odd thing to see for any BB&B regular.

As soon as the old sale signs were removed, new 10% off signs were taped all around the store.

Some customers had arrived with the customary stacks of coupons, but they soon learned they were a day late to use them at this location.

One shopper came in with a stack she said she had been saving "for years" and began handing out coupons to anyone she saw.

But since the coupons were now unusable at that store, many ended up in a stack in a chair near the front door. They're not completely useless, though. Big Lots and The Container Store have said they will honor them.

Source: Insider

It's not just coupons — this Bed Bath & Beyond store is not accepting job applications either.

Additionally, the company's Welcome Rewards membership is no longer eligible for discounts or points, and the membership fee is not refundable.

Source: Bed Bath & Beyond

Shoppers were given unbranded plastic bags for their purchases, but the large reusable shopping bags could become a memento for collectors of corporate memorabilia.

Some shoppers told Insider they had expected more significant discounts than the 10% offered, and noted that prices for some items were actually higher Wednesday than the day before.

Others said they felt bad for the employees, who were expecting their store to remain open.

When a shopper asked about the liquidation plan, one employee said: "We'd be the last to know." The worker said to another shopper: "We'd like to know too. They haven't told us yet."

Many visitors left the store empty-handed, while others bought just a few items, apparently holding off on some purchases until prices are cut further.

Ultimately this store did not look like one of the hundreds of Bed Bath & Beyond locations that have gone through liquidation in recent months, with empty shelves and disorganized merchandise.

Source: Insider

It looked like a store that was ready to stay in business and do well, but as it happens, the problems facing the company are simply too large.