Bed Bath & Beyond sales miss analyst estimates; shares fall

By Jonathan Roeder and Jordyn Holman | Bloomberg

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. tumbled arsenic overmuch arsenic 21% successful premarket trading aft reporting second-quarter income that missed expectations and reducing its full-year outlook, with the delta COVID-19 variant eroding the home-goods retailer’s store traffic.

Revenue successful the 4th ended Aug. 28 fell 26% from a twelvemonth earlier to $1.99 billion, abbreviated of the $2.06 cardinal estimation from analysts compiled by Bloomberg. The intimately watched retail metric of same-store income fell 1%, portion Wall Street had projected a summation of 1.8%. For the company’s self-titled stores, same-store income fell 4%.

Bed Bath & Beyond said that store postulation slowed importantly successful August amid renewed Covid concerns — particularly successful ample states specified arsenic Texas, Florida and California. Those states marque up astir a 3rd of measurement for the retailer. “Therefore, income did not materialize arsenic we had anticipated,” Chief Executive Officer Mark Tritton said successful a statement.

In an interview, helium added that the delta variant has altered user behavior, and information amusement that U.S. shoppers person grown much cautious astir buying successful stores.

“It’s conscionable confusing times for people,” Tritton said.

The company’s shares fell arsenic debased arsenic $17.57 successful premarket trading Thursday, putting them connected gait for their lowest level successful astir a year.

Bed Bath & Beyond present expects income for fiscal 2021 to beryllium successful a scope of $8.1 cardinal to $8.3 cardinal — a simplification from the outlook it published successful precocious June, erstwhile it projected gross arsenic precocious arsenic $8.4 billion.

Tritton besides cited supply-chain challenges arsenic “things conscionable rapidly accelerated successful presumption of costs by month.” He said the institution is having occupation getting orders completed and connected shelves, with transportation delays successful the scope of 30 to 45 days.

“This is happening present and I deliberation it’s going to spell close done the 4th quarter, extremity of that archetypal half,” helium said, referring to the fiscal play that would tally done adjacent summer. “We’re gathering contingency plans to accommodate each those issues.”

Corporate America is progressively plagued by rising costs related to a deficiency of workers, shipping and freight difficulties and persistently precocious demand. Investors volition beryllium listening for much details during executives’ telephone with analysts connected Thursday. Tritton sees the vacation buying play being stronger than the 4th conscionable passed.

He added that the company’s turnaround plans stay connected track. The retailer has revamped its operations since helium was hired from Target Corp. successful precocious 2019 — it present offers much of its ain brands and has opened caller organisation centers. Investors person responded favorably, with shares gaining 25% this twelvemonth done Wednesday’s close.