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Call it the Bed Bath & Beyond barometer. Some recent data indicate that as consumers prepare to open up their wallets, they'll be very likely to spruce up their homes. According to a survey from WSL Strategic Retail, of shoppers who say they want to splurge, 44% want to do so on their digs. NPD Group, a market-research firm, also found that when shoppers are asked where they are most likely to spend money, a majority point to their homes. "The nest is where we'll likely see the early signs of a recovery," says Marshal Cohen, a retail...
...June evening at a sprawling Bed Bath & Beyond store in New York City, a checkout line snaked around the corner as consumers hoarded pots, soaps and Cuisinarts. "Your home is your place of comfort, the only thing you can count on," says Tina Genitti, 21, while carrying a featherbed, a pillow and body creams to the checkout line. "A few months ago, I would have gone for the cheap featherbed. But I spent the extra $5 here because it's time for a treat." (See sustainable home furnishings...
...consumer returning to feel-good spending," says Cohen. "But they're not doing it recklessly. They're sticking their feet in the water. Consumers aren't running about and buying new cars or $1,000 handbags. They're saying, Let me get a candle. And take a bath...
While Bed Bath & Beyond's success bodes well for the state of the economy, some analysts warn against reading too much into the company's results. After all, the recession put the company's main competitor, Linens 'n Things, out of business. Linens 'n Things sold similar merchandise in similar markets as Bed Bath & Beyond. So it may just be a lack of competition, rather than a surge in purchasing power, driving Bed Bath & Beyond's positive results. "Consumer spending is wrecked indefinitely," says Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, a retail investment banking and consulting firm based...
Laura Champine, equity analyst at Cowen & Co., upgraded Bed Bath & Beyond from "sell" to "hold" after the latest results were announced. But she's not quite ready to predict a recovery. "Bed Bath & Beyond will have to start showing positive same-store sales if we want to call a bottoming-out," she says. At least the company is close. So guys, don't whine on your trip to Bed Bath & Beyond. Snatch that pomegranate-cider candle for $25. The fruity smell is quite delightful. And our economic future may depend...