There is hope for home

The home category continues to face its share of challenges on the demand side, something Target knows all too well. However, there is business to be had and profits to be made, as category leader Bed Bath & Beyond proved last week. The company beat analysts’ earnings estimates by four cents a share, when it reported a second quarter profit of 52 cents a share on sales that increased a modest 3.3% to slightly more than $1.9 billion. Same-store sales declined 0.6%. Bed Bath & Beyond is a beneficiary of the recession, as it saw its major direct competitor, Linens ‘N Things, eliminated.