BBBY’s Planning Assumptions for 2013

From Bed Bath & Beyond‘s ($BBBY) earnings call, here are their planning assumptions for 2013.

One, including the 3 stores opened to date, we currently anticipate opening approximately 45 stores across all our concepts, with the possibility of some of those pushing into the first quarter of fiscal 2014. As always, we remain flexible to take advantage of real estate opportunities that may arise.

Two, we expect to continue our program of relocating, remodeling, renovating and expanding a number of our stores during fiscal 2013.

Three, capital expenditures for fiscal 2013 are planned to be in the range of approximately $350 million, which of course remains subject to the timing and composition of projects. Projected capital expenditures, which include World Market and Linen Holdings for the full year, are primarily for new stores, existing store refurbishments and information technology enhancements such as launching our new websites by the end of the fiscal second quarter, upgrading our mobile sites and apps, enhancing network communications in our stores, implemented point-of-sale improvements and building, equipping and staffing our new IT Data Center to support our ongoing technology initiatives.

Four, we are modeling an increase of 2% to 4% in comparable store sales for the first quarter and for the full year.

Five, taking into account that the prior year was a 53-week year, and including our newly acquired companies, we are modeling consolidated net sales to increase by 17% to 19% for the first quarter and approximately 5% to 7% for the full year.

Six, depreciation for fiscal 2013 is expected to be approximately $220 million.

Seven, assuming these sales levels, modeling a continuation of the shift in the mix of merchandise sold to lower margin categories, an increase in coupon redemptions, the incremental operating costs associated with our initiatives and the consolidation of World Market and Linen Holdings, we are modeling operating profit as a percentage of net sales to deleverage for the first quarter. We also anticipate operating profit margin as a percentage of net sales to deleverage for the full year.

Eight, our annual interest line will include approximately $8.7 million in World Market interest expense, substantially resulting from the inclusion of sale-leaseback obligations related to its distribution centers.

Nine, we expect to generate positive operating cash flow and to continue to fund operations entirely from internally generated sources.

Ten, we plan to continue to repurchase shares under our $2.5 billion repurchase program, which we estimate to be completed by the end of fiscal 2015. However, this repurchase program may be influenced by several factors, including business and market conditions.

Based on these and other planning assumptions, including a tax rate that is approximately 400 to 500 basis points higher than in the fiscal first quarter of fiscal 2012, we are modeling net earnings per diluted share to be approximately $0.88 to $0.94 for the fiscal first quarter of 2013.

For the 52 weeks of fiscal 2013, including the incrementally higher tax rate assumption, we are modeling net earnings per diluted share to increase by a mid-single digit to a low-double-digit percentage range over the 53 weeks of fiscal 2012.

Posted by on April 10th, 2013 at 10:02 pm


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