UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                     FORM 4

                  STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

    Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
       Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
               Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

[   ] Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5
     obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
================================================================================
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*

    Kaplan,                          Robert              S.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (Last)                           (First)             (Middle)
    c/o Goldman, Sachs & Co.
    85 Broad Street
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    (Street)

    New York,                        New York             10004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   (City)                           (State)              (Zip)


================================================================================
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

    Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.
    (BBBY)
================================================================================
3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (voluntary)

================================================================================
4. Statement for Month/Day/Year

    January 23, 2003
    January 24, 2003
================================================================================
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)


================================================================================
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
   (Check all applicable)

   [ X ]   Director                             [   ]   10% Owner
   [   ]   Officer (give title below)           [   ]   Other (specify below)


               -------------------------------------------

================================================================================
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

   [ X ] Form filed by One Reporting Person
   [   ] Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

================================================================================



====================================================================================================================================
                              Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of,                                          |
                                                 or Beneficially Owned                                                             |
====================================================================================================================================
                          |            |          |           |                                |5.            |6.       |          |
                          |            |          |           | 4.                             |Amount of     |Owner-   |          |
                          |            |          |           | Securities Acquired (A) or     |Securities    |ship     |          |
                          |            |2A.       |3.         | Disposed of (D)                |Beneficially  |Form:    |7.        |
                          |2.          |Deemed    |Transaction| (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)            |Owned         |Direct   |Nature of |
                          |Transaction |Execution |Code       | -------------------------------|Following     |(D) or   |Indirect  |
1.                        |Date        |Date, if  |(Instr. 8) |               | (A) |          |Reported      |Indirect |Beneficial|
Title of Security         |(Month/Day/ |any(Month/|-----------|     Amount    | or  |  Price   |Transactions  |(I)      |Ownership |
(Instr. 3)                |Year)       |Day/Year) | Code  | V |               | (D) |          |(Instr. 3 & 4)|(Instr.4)|(Instr. 4)|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                                                                          
                          |            |          |       |   |               |     |          |              |         |          |
Common Stock              |            |          |       |   |               |     |          |     4,524    |    D    |          |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                          |            |          |       |   |               |     |          |              |         |          |
Common Stock              |  1/23/03   |          |   S   |   |     11,079    | D   | $33.8331 |              |    I    |    01    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                          |            |          |       |   |               |     |          |              |         |          |
Common Stock              |  1/23/03   |          |   S   |   |      3,693    | D   | $33.917  |              |    I    |    01    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                          |            |          |       |   |               |     |          |              |         |          |
Common Stock              |  1/24/03   |          |   P   |   |      5,000    | A   | $33.85   |              |    I    |    01    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                          |            |          |       |   |               |     |          |              |         |          |
Common Stock              |  1/24/03   |          |   P   |   |      5,000    | A   | $33.90   |              |    I    |    01    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                          |            |          |       |   |               |     |          |              |         |          |
Common Stock              |  1/24/03   |          |   P   |   |        400    | A   | $33.91   |              |    I    |    01    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                          |            |          |       |   |               |     |          |              |         |          |
Common Stock              |  1/24/03   |          |   P   |   |        362    | A   | $33.966  |              |    I    |    01    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                          |            |          |       |   |               |     |          |              |         |          |
Common Stock              |  1/24/03   |          |   P   |   |        600    | A   | $33.96   |              |    I    |    01    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                          |            |          |       |   |               |     |          |              |         |          |
Common Stock              |  1/24/03   |          |   P   |   |      3,410    | A   | $33.97   |      -0-     |    I    |    01    |
====================================================================================================================================

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
          owned directly or indirectly.

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction
  4(b)(v).

FORM 4 (continued)


====================================================================================================================================
                    Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                 |
                            (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)                                         |
====================================================================================================================================
               |      |        |    |      |            |                 |                       |        |9.       |10.   |      |
               |2.    |        |    |      |            |                 |                       |        |Number   |Owner-|      |
               |Con-  |        |    |      |            |                 |                       |        |of       |ship  |      |
               |ver-  |        |3A. |      |            |                 |                       |        |Deriv-   |of    |      |
               |sion  |        |De- |      |5.          |                 |7.                     |        |ative    |Deriv-|11.   |
               |or    |        |emed|      |Number of   |                 |Title and Amount       |        |Secur-   |ative |Nature|
               |Exer- |        |Exe-|      |Derivative  |6.               |of Underlying          |8.      |ities    |Secur-|of    |
               |cise  |        |cu- |4.    |Securities  |Date             |Securities             |Price   |Bene-    |ity:  |In-   |
               |Price |3.      |tion|Trans-|Acquired (A)|Exercisable and  |(Instr. 3 and 4)       |of      |ficially |Direct|direct|
               |of    |Trans-  |Date|action|or Disposed |Expiration Date  |-----------------------|Deriv-  |Owned    |(D) or|Bene- |
1.             |Der-  |action  |if  |Code  |of (D)      |(Month/Day/Year) |             |Amount   |ative   |Following|In-   |ficial|
Title of       |iva-  |Date    |any,|(Instr|(Instr. 3,  |-----------------|             |or       |Secur-  |Reported |direct|Owner-|
Derivative     |tive  |(Month/ |(MM/|8)    |4 and 5)    |Date    |Expira- |             |Number   |ity     |Trans-   |(I)   |ship  |
Security       |Secu- |Day/    |DD/ |------|------------|Exer-   |tion    |             |of       |(Instr. |action(s)|(Instr|(Instr|
(Instr. 3)     |rity  |Year)   |YY) |Code|V| (A)  | (D) |cisable |Date    |Title        |Shares   |5)      |(Instr.4)|4)    |4)    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
                                                                                  
               |      |        |     |   | |      |     |        |        |             |         |        |         |      |      |
               |      |        |     |   | |      |     |        |        |             |         |        |         |      |      |
====================================================================================================================================

Explanation of Responses:

01:  The  Reporting  Person  is a  managing  director  of  Goldman,  Sachs & Co.
("Goldman Sachs").  Goldman Sachs is an indirect wholly-owned  subsidiary of The
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ("GS Group").  Goldman Sachs International  ("GSI") is
an indirect wholly-owned  subsidiary of GS Group. The Reporting Person disclaims
beneficial  ownership of the  securities  reported  herein as  indirectly  owned
except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.

The securities reported herein as purchased and sold were purchased and sold and
were beneficially owned directly by GSI. The securities  reported herein as sold
were sold, by GSI, as part of a basket which did not meet the  requirements  for
exemption  as  outlined  by the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission.  Without
admitting  any legal  obligation,  GSI or an  affiliate  will remit  appropriate
profits, if any, to the Company.




By:  s/ Edward T. Joel                                            1/27/03
---------------------------------------------            -----------------------
      **Signature of Reporting Person                             Date
              Attorney-in-fact

**     Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal
       Criminal Violations.

       See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note:  File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed.
       If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedures.


       Alternatively,   this  Form  is  permitted  to  be  submitted  to  the
       Commission in electronic  format at the option of the reporting person
       pursuant to Rule 101(b)(4) of Regulation S-T.





                                POWER OF ATTORNEY


     The  undersigned  does hereby  appoint Roger S.  Begelman,  Edward T. Joel,
Saskia  Brookfield  Martin and Susan P. Goddard,  (and any other employee of The
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. or one of its affiliates  designated in writing by one
of the attorneys-in-fact),  his true and lawful attorneys,  and each of them his
true and lawful  attorney,  with power to act without  the other,  and with full
power of substitution and resubstitution, to execute and file for him and in his
name any Initial Statement of Beneficial  Ownership of Securities on Form 3, any
Statement of Changes in Beneficial  Ownership on Form 4 and any Annual Statement
of Changes in Beneficial  Ownership on Form 5, or any similar or successor form,
which  may be  required  to be filed by him with  the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  pursuant to Section 16 of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,  as
amended, and any and all instruments necessary or incidental  therewith,  hereby
granting unto said attorneys and each of them full power and authority to do and
perform  in the  name  and on  behalf  of the  undersigned,  and in any  and all
capacities,  every act and thing whatsoever  required or necessary to be done in
and  about  the  premises,  as fully  and to all  intents  and  purposes  as the
undersigned might or could do in person,  hereby ratifying and approving the act
of said attorneys and each of them.

     This power of attorney shall not be affected by the  subsequent  disability
or  incompetence  of the principal.  This power of attorney shall remain in full
force and effect until  either  revoked in writing by the  undersigned  or until
such time as the person or persons to whom  power of  attorney  has been  hereby
granted  cease(s) to be an employee of The Goldman  Sachs Group,  Inc. or one of
its affiliates.

     In witness thereof the  undersigned  hereunto signed his name this 27th day
of January, 2003.



                                                             s/ Robert S. Kaplan
                                                           ---------------------
                                                                ROBERT S. KAPLAN