West Hartford's 'buybuyBABY' Saga To Finally End With Store's Closure

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The saga of a local baby furniture/toy/accessories retailer's future has, again, taken another twist.

The "buybuy BABY" store at 1433 New Britain Ave., West Hartford, is now closing once again, according to company officials on Saturday.

The reason? New shopping trends are placing more of an emphasis on online sales than in-person stores, according to the company.

"The demand of consumers has changed, and as such, so are we. Based on the feedback from our loyal customers, we are shifting away from the brick-and-mortar model for the near term, and redefining ourselves as a digital-first brand," wrote buybuyBABY via Facebook.

"We are placing a stronger emphasis on our e-commerce and wholesale capabilities and our plan moving forward is to focus all of our efforts on our digital platform."

Once owned under the company behind the now-defunct Bed, Bath & Beyond brand, the West Hartford "buybuy Baby" shuttered briefly in May 2023, when Bed, Bath & Beyond went bankrupt.

But the "buybuy BABY" brand was purchased by baby goods retailer "Dream on Me"in June 2023 and it immediately announced plans to reopen "buybuyBABY" stores by the fall of 2023.

Now, a year later, "Dream on Me" is closing "buybuyBABY" stores and emphasizing online/digital sales.

West Hartford was Connecticut's lone "buybuyBABY."

While no official last day of West Hartford's "buybuyBABY" is finalized, the store closing sale is fully underway there.

Company officials said this move will enable the company to grow and succeed.

"By resetting now, we are positioning ourselves for long-term growth and success," wrote buybuyBABY.

"We’re excited about this new chapter and confident that our renewed focus will create more value for our customers, partners, and team members."

From Aug. 17, 2023: 'Hello 'buybuy?' West Hartford Baby Store Pegged To Reopen: Report'

From May 1, 2023: 'Store Closing: West Hartford To Say 'Bye Bye' To 'buybuy Baby' Store'