Within hours of buying your first home, you start to realize there are countless essential items you never would have thought to possess as a renter. I think it took us half a dozen trips to Target during move-in week to get all the tools and lights and cleaners we couldn't get by without.

And it's for that reason Target finds itself chained to the housing slump. When times were better, buyers flocked to Target as they set up in their new homes. But now BusinessWeek reports that Target's "deep exposure" to the housing market is likely to be a drag on the company until home prices start to recover, which could be years.

The same forces have affected other household retailers, the magazine reports. Bombay Co. and Linens n' Things have declared bankruptcy, and Pier 1 Imports sales are down sharply.