HOLYOKE — Bed Bath & Beyond at the Holyoke Mall Crossing will be shutting down.

The closure, first reported by The Republican, is announced on the store’s website. The store is one of approximately 200 that Bed Bath & Beyond announced at the end of October that it would close by 2021. The company told the Republican that its Hampshire Mall store in Hadley will stay open.

The store has been at the location for some 25 years, though as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect in-person shopping the company has said it plans to move more of its operations online.

In a recent press release, the company described reducing its “lease liability” as part of a larger digital-first plan.

Its third-quarter report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission notes that in the six months ending Aug. 29, net digital sales increased around 85% whereas net in-store sales declined 46%. For that same time period, net digital sales represented approximately two-fifths of the company’s net sales.

“The Company continues to believe that its physical store channel is an asset for its transformation into a digital-first company, especially with new omni-fulfillment capabilities in Buy-Online-Pick-Up-In-Store ... and Curbside Pickup,” the report said.

A spokesperson for Bed Bath & Beyond did not respond to a request for comment Sunday afternoon.

Dusty Christensen can be reached at dchristensen@gazettenet.com.]]>