The TJX Cos. Inc. saw its Bob’s Stores division just miss its target of halving the operating loss as forecast at the start of the year. On a conference call with analysts, newly anointed CEO Carol Meyrowitz attributed the near miss to the “unusually warm winter that had a particularly negative affect on this division.” Also during the week, the company reported that a previously announced security breach revolving around customer data was actually wider than originally anticipated and also occurred over a longer period of time.

The intrusion into TJX’s computer system began in July 2005, not in the previously believed May 2006. However, it shrank the ending point of the breach from January 2007 to mid-December 2006.

For the Bob’s Stores division, sales increased 1.0% to $90.0 million from $89.1 million during the fourth quarter last year on flat comparable store sales. The division’s operating profit for the quarter fell 27.3% to a loss of $5.9 million from a loss of $4.6 million last year. For the full year, net sales increased 4.2% for the division to $300.6 million from $288.5 million last year on a 2% comps gain. The company neared its goal of halving the operating loss, posting a loss of $17.4 million, shrinking 38.1% from a loss of $28.0 million last year. The division opened one store during the year.

Looking at fiscal 2008, TJX anticipates sales for the Bob’s Stores division to come in at $315 million with a 4% to 5% improvement in comparable store sales. The company also expects Bob’s to halve its operating loss with the result falling between a loss of $8 million to $9 million. The company does not intend to open any Bob’s Stores in fiscal 2008.