Introduction: The Curious Survival of World Market
Cost Plus World Market occupies one of the most unusual positions in the American retail landscape today. Once part of the sprawling Bed Bath & Beyond empire, it now stands as the last surviving nameplate of what was once a dominant force in home goods. When Bed Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy and shuttered most of its stores, many assumed that World Market would fade into the same retail graveyard. Yet, against the odds, it continues to operate, attract customers, and hold on to its unique identity.
The question, of course, is why. Why does World Market still resonate with shoppers at a time when so many other mid-tier retailers have collapsed? Why does it manage to carve out a niche when consumer behavior has shifted so dramatically toward e-commerce giants like Amazon and discount leaders like Walmart and Target?
To explore this, I visited one of its stores in Greensboro, North Carolina, and examined the brand’s merchandising, strategy, and positioning. What I found was a retailer full of promise, plagued by certain blind spots, and still grappling with a branding identity crisis. Like many retail stories, it can be broken down into three parts: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
The Good: Where World Market Excels and Outshines Competitors
Strong Store Presentation and Visual Merchandising
The first thing you notice upon entering a World Market is the presentation. The store is clean, shelves are stocked, and the merchandising feels intentional. In an era where so many brick-and-mortar retailers appear understaffed, half-empty, or simply neglected, this sense of orderliness feels refreshing.
The Greensboro store offered aisle after aisle of curated displays: towels folded with precision, pillows stacked in a visually striking vertical tower, and cookware laid out with the kind of balance that invites browsing rather than overwhelming the shopper. Presentation is often overlooked in retail, but it matters deeply. A messy or chaotic store communicates neglect; a well-kept store communicates pride, trustworthiness, and even value.
A Thoughtful, Edited Assortment
One of World Market’s strongest advantages lies in its assortment strategy. While many retailers pursue the “endless aisle” approach—packing in as many SKUs as possible to cover every potential option—World Market seems to have learned the value of restraint.
Rather than 20 slightly different versions of the same item, it curates fewer choices that feel distinct. For instance, in the bath department, instead of the usual mountain of solid-color towels, the store offered textured designs, patterned accents, and more upscale-feeling fabrics. By limiting selection but increasing differentiation, World Market avoids the dreaded “paralysis of choice” that frustrates shoppers.
Creating Discovery Through Fixtures and Layout
One of the most clever merchandising moves I observed was the vertical decorative pillow fixture. Pillows are typically a logistical headache for retailers—bulky, awkward, and hard to display without eating valuable floor space. By creating a vertical wall of pillows, World Market not only solved that problem but also created an eye-catching display reminiscent of Pier 1 Imports in its prime.
This sense of “treasure hunt” is critical to World Market’s identity. Shoppers don’t just come for essentials—they come for the joy of discovery, the little surprise item they didn’t expect to find. This is where World Market outpaces its competitors, especially big-box stores that have become increasingly transactional.
Global-Inspired Product Mix
Another strength is World Market’s global aesthetic. From woven baskets inspired by African craftsmanship to ceramics with Mediterranean flair, the assortment feels eclectic and worldly. This positions World Market as more than just a home goods store—it’s an “experience.” Even if customers know these goods are mass-produced, the styling taps into a desire for uniqueness and culture.
At a time when IKEA leans Scandinavian minimalist and At Home leans toward sheer size and value, World Market manages to offer something with emotional resonance: products that feel like they have a story.
Emotional Connection Through Seasonality and Food
World Market also differentiates itself through seasonal items and its unique mix of food products. Unlike most home retailers, it carries chocolates, sauces, wines, and snack imports from across the globe. While this may seem secondary, it actually strengthens its positioning: World Market isn’t just about decorating a home, it’s about living in it. Food, entertaining, and décor naturally connect, and World Market cleverly uses this to increase basket size and drive repeat visits.
The Bad: Missed Opportunities and Strategic Weaknesses
The Untapped Potential in Bedding
Perhaps the biggest strategic miss is in bedding. With Bed Bath & Beyond gone, there is a massive hole in the market for sheets, duvets, and comforters. Shoppers who once reflexively went to BBB are now adrift. Competitors like Target, Macy’s, and Amazon have filled part of this gap, but none own it outright.
World Market is perfectly positioned to step into this role with bedding collections that mirror its bath success. Imagine global-inspired quilts, bohemian duvets, and luxury-feel sheets at affordable prices. Yet in practice, its bedding section feels generic and underdeveloped, blending into the sea of sameness. By neglecting this category, World Market leaves both revenue and brand equity on the table.
Confused Positioning Between Discovery and Basics
World Market walks a fine line between being a “discovery-driven treasure hunt” retailer and a “practical home basics” store. The problem is that it doesn’t fully commit to either. For shoppers, this creates occasional confusion. Should they come here for everyday necessities, or for that quirky imported accent piece?
While eclecticism is part of its charm, the lack of a clear brand promise can hinder loyalty. In contrast, IKEA has mastered clarity (“affordable Scandinavian design”), while At Home thrives on “big selection at value pricing.” World Market’s brand message is fuzzier: global, but not always; practical, but not always; eclectic, but not always. This ambiguity could prevent it from building deeper customer loyalty.
Digital Strategy That Lags Behind
In today’s retail environment, a strong digital presence is essential. World Market’s website, however, fails to replicate the sense of discovery that its physical stores deliver. The assortment online feels flatter, the photography less inspiring, and the browsing experience transactional rather than experiential.
This is a critical weakness. Most customers begin their shopping journey online—even if they finish it in-store. If World Market cannot bring its “treasure hunt” experience to digital platforms, it risks losing relevance with younger consumers who may never set foot in a physical store without first being inspired online.
Price Positioning Challenges
Another subtle weakness is pricing. While World Market positions itself as affordable, it sometimes straddles an awkward middle ground: not cheap enough to compete with Walmart or Amazon, but not premium enough to justify a higher spend. In a post-BBB world where shoppers are increasingly value-conscious, this lack of a clear price identity can be problematic.
The Ugly: Branding and Identity Crisis
The Confusion of Two Nameplates
Walk into most stores and you’ll notice something confusing: signage for both Cost Plus and World Market. To many customers, it’s unclear whether these are two different concepts, or one brand with a split personality. While legacy and history play a role (Cost Plus has a long heritage), from a branding perspective, this is a liability.
In modern retail, clarity is king. Shoppers need to know instantly what a store stands for. Maintaining two names dilutes marketing efforts, splits consumer recognition, and creates unnecessary confusion. Consolidating into a single brand—most likely “World Market”—would give the company a cleaner, stronger identity.
The Shadow of Bed Bath & Beyond
World Market’s survival is both a badge of honor and a burden. On one hand, it benefits from being the last standing member of the BBB family, inheriting some customer goodwill and recognition. On the other hand, it risks being seen as a leftover relic of a failed empire. Unless it actively repositions itself as more than just the survivor, it may forever carry the baggage of its fallen sibling.
Competitive Landscape in 2025
To understand World Market’s future, we must consider its competitors. Target has aggressively expanded its home assortment, with private-label brands like Threshold and Casaluna offering strong design at competitive prices. IKEA remains the go-to for budget-conscious shoppers seeking large-scale solutions. Amazon dominates convenience, while specialty players like At Home push size and breadth.
World Market must double down on differentiation. Its global-inspired aesthetic, curated assortments, and food/home crossover are advantages none of its competitors can replicate at scale. But unless it amplifies those strengths and communicates them clearly, it risks being overshadowed.
What World Market Must Do to Thrive
- Own Bedding – Build a globally inspired, design-driven bedding business that captures the vacuum left by Bed Bath & Beyond.
- Unify Branding – Drop the dual nameplates and embrace one strong brand identity.
- Reinvent Digital – Make the website an experiential destination, not just a catalog.
- Sharpen Price Identity – Commit to either affordable luxury or clear value, but stop straddling the middle.
- Expand the Storytelling – Emphasize the “global discovery” narrative in marketing to differentiate from mass competitors.
Conclusion: A Brand at a Crossroads
Cost Plus World Market remains a fascinating anomaly in American retail. Its stores are neat, its assortments thoughtful, and its displays clever. It is both nostalgic and forward-looking, both practical and whimsical. But to truly thrive, it must resolve its identity crisis, sharpen its strategy, and lean harder into its differentiation.
In 2025, retail is about clarity, emotion, and experience. If World Market can deliver all three, it has the potential not just to survive, but to claim the space Bed Bath & Beyond left behind. If it cannot, it may remain forever stuck in the in-between: good, sometimes bad, occasionally ugly, but never fully great.
