At its annual meeting here this morning, Bed Bath & Beyond pointed to its recent One Kings Lane acquisition as a way to boost its furniture and home décor business.

At a meeting that ran nearly 30 minutes–an almost glacial pace compared to its usual pro forma 15-minute events–the company also saw shareholders adapt two proposals regarding board selection and severance that clearly question current management practices. It marked an unusual occurrence for the normally button-down retailer.

But from a merchandising standpoint, BBB executives were upbeat on what the One Kings Lane purchase would bring to its business.

“We see tremendous appeal in furniture and home décor for years to come as a result of the purchase,” said Len Feinstein, co-chairman, in remarks to the two dozen people in attendance. “One Kings Lane will serve as the cornerstone for our growing offerings in these categories.”

After the meeting, in response to questions, CEO Steve Temares said no decision had been made on whether the BBB stores would use the One Kings Lane brand in its in-store and online offerings. “All options are open.”

He did say that OKL co-founder and chief merchant Susan Feldman would be staying on after the acquisition is completed.

When asked about the company’s Christmas Tree Shops positioning, which has seen new stores opening in new geographic areas under the AndThat name, Temares said multiple nameplates would continue to be used depending on geography. “The more important thing is to look at the improvements we’ve made in the merchandising in the stores, regardless of the name.”

With its stock price struggling and recent disappointing earnings and sales, Bed Bath has been feeling pressure from investors to improve its business, particularly its online and larger omnichannel strategies. This seems to have resulted in an effort on the part of the company to be more open and transparent in its dealings with Wall Street.

But Temares just as clearly defended BBB’s long-term history as one of the more profitable retailers around and one that has remained long after competitors have failed.

“We’ll let our performance over time tell our story.”

(Source: hfndigital.com  Author: Warren Shoulberg)