Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. Reports Results for Fiscal Second Quarter

UNION, N.J., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. today reported net earnings of $.70 per diluted share ($181.8 million) in the fiscal second quarter ended August 28, 2010, an increase of approximately 35% versus net earnings of $.52 per diluted share ($135.5 million) in the same quarter a year ago.  Net sales for the fiscal second quarter of 2010 were approximately $2.137 billion, an increase of approximately 11.6% from net sales of approximately $1.915 billion reported in the fiscal second quarter of 2009.  Comparable store sales in the fiscal second quarter of 2010 increased by approximately 7.4%, compared with a decrease of approximately 0.6% in last year's fiscal second quarter.

Also during the fiscal second quarter of 2010, the Company repurchased approximately $193 million of its common stock representing approximately 4.9 million shares.

For the fiscal first half ended August 28, 2010, the Company reported net earnings of $1.22 per diluted share ($319.3 million), an increase of approximately 42% over net earnings of $.86 per diluted share ($222.7 million) in the corresponding period a year ago.  Net sales for the fiscal first half of 2010 were approximately $4.060 billion, an increase of approximately 12.5% from net sales of approximately $3.609 billion in the corresponding period a year ago.  Comparable store sales for the fiscal first half of 2010 increased by approximately 7.9%, compared with a decrease of approximately 1.1% in last year's fiscal first half.

For the fiscal third quarter of 2010, the Company is modeling net earnings per diluted share to be approximately $.61 to $.65.  For fiscal 2010, the Company is now modeling net earnings per diluted share to increase by approximately 20%, up from the previous model of approximately 15%.  

As of August 28, 2010, the Company had a total of 1,111 stores, including 972 Bed Bath & Beyond stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Canada, 61 Christmas Tree Shops stores, 33 buybuy BABY stores and 45 stores under the names of Harmon or Harmon Face Values.  During the fiscal second quarter, the Company opened five Bed Bath & Beyond stores, including the first store in its 50th state, Hawaii, and two buybuy BABY stores. Consolidated store space as of August 28, 2010 was approximately 34.1 million square feet. Since the beginning of the third quarter of fiscal 2010 on August 29, 2010, one additional Bed Bath & Beyond store, two buybuy BABY stores and one Christmas Tree Shops store have been opened.  In addition, the Company is a partner in a joint venture which operates two stores in the Mexico City market under the name "Home & More."

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") is a chain of retail stores, operating under the names of Bed Bath & Beyond, Christmas Tree Shops, Harmon, Harmon Face Values and buybuy BABY.  In addition, the Company is a partner in a joint venture which operates retail stores in Mexico under the name "Home & More."  The Company sells a wide assortment of domestics merchandise and home furnishings, which include food, giftware, health and beauty care items and infant and toddler merchandise.  Shares of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. are traded on NASDAQ under the symbol "BBBY" and are included in the Standard and Poor's 500 and Global 1200 Indices and the NASDAQ-100 Index.  The Company is counted among the Fortune 500 and the Forbes 2000.    

This press release may contain forward-looking statements.  Many of these forward-looking statements can be identified by use of words such as may, will, expect, anticipate, approximate, estimate, assume, continue, model, project, plan, and similar words and phrases.  The Company's actual results and future financial condition may differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements as a result of many factors that may be outside the Company's control. Such factors include, without limitation: general economic conditions including the housing market, a challenging overall macroeconomic environment and related changes in the retailing environment, consumer preferences and spending habits; demographics and other macroeconomic factors that may impact the level of spending for the types of merchandise sold by the Company; unusual weather patterns; competition from existing and potential competitors; competition from other channels of distribution; pricing pressures; the cost of labor, merchandise and other costs and expenses; the ability to find suitable locations at acceptable occupancy costs to support the Company's expansion program; the impact of failed auctions for auction rate securities held by the Company; and matters arising out of or related to the Company's stock option grants and procedures and related matters, including any tax implications relating to the Company's stock option grants.  The Company does not undertake any obligation to update its forward-looking statements.  

SOURCE Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.