Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. announced it will shutter 40 stores this year, including four Southern California locations that have already closed. All of the stores on the list, spread throughout 19 states, are expected to close within the next six months, the New Jersey-based company said. In a Jan. 8 earnings call with analysts, company officials said they still plan to close 60 stores across all of its brand concepts but that 20 of the 40 Bed Bath & Beyond stores scheduled to close would be delayed until the first half of the year. The company closed 14 locations in late 2019. Bed Bath & Beyond, like many brick-and-mortar retail chains, has experienced lagging foot traffic in the face of increased competition from Amazon and other online retailers.