Beyond's Lemonis shuns California over 'unsustainable' business climate

[2013 Summer TCA Tour - Day 4]
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Entertainment

Beyond (NYSE:BYON [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BYON]) CEO Marcus Lemonis is steering clear of California, calling out the state’s overregulation, high taxes, and risky business environment for his decision to not open or operate Bed Bath & Beyond retail stores in the state.

“This decision isn’t about politics — it’s about reality,” Lemonis said in a statement [https://seekingalpha.com/pr/20206867-statement-from-marcus-lemonis-executive-chairman-of-bed-bath-and-beyond], adding that as California has created an environment “that makes it harder to employ people, harder to keep doors open, and harder to deliver value to customers.”

“We’re taking a stand because it’s time for common sense. Businesses deserve the chance to succeed. Employees deserve jobs that last. And customers deserve fair prices. California’s system delivers the opposite.”

Accordingly, the company will only serve California customers through its website and invest in a strategy to deliver merchandise as quickly as the same day. This will provide California customers “the products they love but without the inflated costs created by an unsustainable model.”

While some notable closures have occurred in problematic cities like San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles, few retailers have pulled up stakes in the state altogether. As the most populated state in the U.S., California has a GDP that dwarfs most countries including the UK, and France, and the sixth highest median income in the country.

Notably, Lemonis’ decision does not carry over to his other business interests: as Chairman and CEO of Camping World Holdings (CWH [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CWH]), he continues to maintain 14 dealerships across California.

Beyond (NYSE:BYON [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BYON]) and Camping World (CWH [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/CWH]) shares are down 3% and 1%, respectively.

DEAR READERS:We recognize that politics often intersects with the financial news of the day, so we invite you to click here [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4802971-politics-and-the-markets-082025]to join the separate political discussion.

MORE ON BEYOND

* Beyond: Liquidity Risk Is A Key Concern [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4809900-beyond-liquidity-risk-key-concern]
* Beyond, Inc. (BYON) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Transcript [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4805622-beyond-inc-byon-q2-2025-earnings-call-transcript]
* Beyond, Inc. 2025 Q2 - Results - Earnings Call Presentation [https://seekingalpha.com/article/4805469-beyond-inc-2025-q2-results-earnings-call-presentation]
* Meme revival: Bed Bath & Beyond will be a tradeable stock once again [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4486525-meme-revival-bed-bath-beyond-will-be-a-tradeable-stock-once-again]
* Beyond renames to Bed Bath & Beyond, ticker changes to BBBY [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4486528-beyond-renames-to-bed-bath-beyond-ticker-changes-to-bbby]