Bath & Body Works, Inc. (BBWI)

Bath & Body Works' stock experienced a notable decline over the past six months. As of January 22, 2026, the share price was $22.58, a significant drop from $37.29 on January 23, 2025, representing a 39.45% decrease. The stock has also seen a -35.78% change over the past year, with a 52-week range between $14.28 and $41.87. The third-quarter 2025 earnings report in November 2025 significantly impacted the stock, with a reported 1% decline in net sales to $1.6 billion, falling short of expectations, leading to a lowered financial outlook for the full 2025 fiscal year and a subsequent 32% plunge in share price.

Demand for Bath & Body Works products exhibits clear seasonal patterns, with significant peaks aligning with holidays and seasonal shifts. Candle demand peaks in November and December due to holiday gifting. The company prepares for this surge by hiring over 30,000 seasonal associates across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. June and July are also busy months, with a slight decrease in August before increasing again for the fall and Christmas seasons. This seasonality influences product innovation, inventory planning, and marketing strategies.

Bath & Body Works, Inc. is an American specialty retail company based in Columbus, Ohio, operating in the Retail-Wholesale sector, specifically in Specialty Stores. It is a global leader in personal care and home fragrance, offering exclusive products such as fine fragrance mist, body lotion and cream, 3-wick candles, home fragrance diffusers, and liquid hand soap. The company's revenue model is based on the rapid development and sale of high-demand, exclusive fragrances.

Bath & Body Works has a significant geographic presence, primarily through its North American store network. As of November 1, 2025, it operates 1,934 company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada, along with over 544 international franchised locations. The company's supply chain is mainly U.S.-based, with inventory managed through six company-operated distribution and fulfillment centers, primarily in central Ohio.

In the past year, Bath & Body Works received positive recognition for its customer service and market position, including being named on Forbes' Best Customer Service list and recognized by Newsweek as America's #1 Perfume and Cosmetics Retailer for the second consecutive year. However, the brand faced challenges, leading to a new "Consumer First Formula" strategy to address shortcomings such as expansions into adjacent categories that hadn't paid off, an overreliance on collaborations and promotions, and an inefficient organizational structure. A Disney collaboration, expanded with a villains theme in August 2025, did not perform as expected.

Bath & Body Works, Inc. became an independent, publicly traded company in August 2021. The ownership is primarily held by institutional investors, with Vanguard Group Inc. and BlackRock, Inc. collectively owning over 95% of the company's shares. Approximately 37.55% of the company's stock is owned by Institutional Investors, 0.60% by Insiders, and 20.70% by Public Companies and Individual Investors.