Bath & Body Works beats quarterly estimates on strong demand for 'affordable luxury'

Bath & Body Works

27/05/2026 12:32

May 27 (Reuters) - Bath & Body Works BBWI.N beat Wall Street estimates for first-quarter sales and profit on Wednesday, helped by strong demand for its scented candles and personal care products, sending its shares up 14% in premarket trading.   
Despite broader consumer softness, demand for Bath & Body Works' products has remained resilient, as shoppers gravitate toward affordable indulgences such as home fragrances and self-care items — a modest "lipstick effect" that has helped support its core categories.
Since February, the company began selling its products through Amazon as it looks to capture demand for "affordable luxury" from affluent young customers.
Bath & Body Works posted first-quarter sales of $1.38 billion, beating estimates of $1.36 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.
It logged an adjusted profit of 32 cents per share for the quarter ended May 2, above estimates of 29 cents per share.
The Ohio-based company maintained its full-year forecasts for net sales and adjusted profit.
The company also said Eva Boratto will step down from her role as chief financial officer, with Tom Javitch set to take over as interim CFO, effective June 12. 
Boratto, has been appointed as the chief financial officer for drug distributor Cencora COR.N . 



 (Reporting by Koyena Das in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed and Diti Pujara)
 ((koyena.das@thomsonreuters.com))