BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (BJ’s) is an operator of membership warehouse clubs concentrated primarily in the eastern half of the United States.
The company delivers significant value to its members, consistently offering up to 25% savings on a representative basket of manufacturer-branded groceries compared to traditional supermarket competitors. The company provides a curated assortment focused on groceries, fresh foods, general merchandise, gasoline, and other ancillary services to de...
BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (BJ’s) is an operator of membership warehouse clubs concentrated primarily in the eastern half of the United States.
The company delivers significant value to its members, consistently offering up to 25% savings on a representative basket of manufacturer-branded groceries compared to traditional supermarket competitors. The company provides a curated assortment focused on groceries, fresh foods, general merchandise, gasoline, and other ancillary services to deliver a differentiated shopping experience that is further enhanced by its digital capabilities. Additionally, the company provides access to coupons and promotions to deliver further value to its members.
The company has grown its footprint to various large-format, high volume warehouse clubs and various gas stations spanning 21 states as of February 1, 2025. In addition to shopping in the company's clubs, members are able to shop when and how they want through the company's website, bjs.com, and the company's highly rated mobile app, which allows them to use the company's buy-online-pickup-in-club ('BOPIC') service, curbside delivery, same-day home delivery or traditional ship-to-home service, as well as through the DoorDash and Instacart marketplaces. The company also offers Same-Day Select, which offers BJ's members the ability to pay a one-time fee for either unlimited or twelve same-day deliveries over a one-year period.
In addition to providing significant savings on a representative basket of manufacturer-branded groceries, the company accepts all manufacturer coupons and also carries its own exclusive brands that enable members to save on price without compromising on quality. The company's two private label brands, Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen, represent approximately 26% of its total net sales, excluding gasoline. The company's customers recognize the relevance of its value proposition across economic environments, as demonstrated by over 25 consecutive years of membership fee income growth.
Clubs
As of February 1, 2025, the company operated various clubs ranging in size from 44,000 square feet to 177,000 square feet. The company aims to locate its larger clubs in high-density, high-traffic locations that are difficult to replicate. The company designs its smaller format clubs to serve markets whose population is not sufficient to support a larger club or that are in locations, such as urban areas, where there is inadequate real estate space for a larger club. Including space for parking, the amount of land required for a BJ’s club generally ranges from ten acres to fourteen acres. The company's clubs are located in both free-standing locations and shopping centers.
The company buys most of its merchandise directly from manufacturers and route it to cross-docking consolidation points (distribution centers) or directly to the company's clubs. The company-operated distribution centers receive large shipments from manufacturers and quickly ship these goods to individual clubs, generally within 24 hours. The company works with manufacturers to minimize the amount of handling required once merchandise is received at a club. Merchandise for sale is generally displayed on pallets containing large quantities of each item, thereby reducing labor required for handling, stocking and restocking. Back-up merchandise is generally stored in steel racks above the sales floor.
Segments
The company's retail operations, which include retail club and other sales procured from the company's clubs and distribution centers, represent substantially all of the company's consolidated total revenues, and are its only reportable segment. Substantially all of the company's identifiable assets are located in the United States.
Merchandising
The company services its existing members and attracts new members by providing a broad range of high quality, brand name and private label merchandise at prices that are consistently lower than the prices of traditional retailers, including discount retailers, supermarkets, supercenters and specialty retail operations. The company limits the items offered in each product line to fast selling styles, sizes and colors, carrying approximately 7,000 core active stock keeping units ('SKUs'). The company may add additional temporary SKUs from time to time to keep up with demand.
By contrast, supermarkets normally carry an average of 40,000 SKUs, and supercenters may stock 100,000 SKUs or more. The company works with manufacturers to develop packaging and sizes that are best suited for selling through the warehouse club format in order to minimize handling costs and ensure value to the company's members.
The company groups its merchandise offerings into two divisions: perishables, grocery and sundries, and general merchandise and services.
Perishables, Grocery, and Sundries: Consist of the company's meat, produce, dairy, bakery, deli, and frozen products, packaged foods, beverages, detergents, disinfectants, paper products, beauty care, adult and baby care, and pet foods, which constituted approximately 87% of the company's merchandise sales for fiscal year 2024.
General Merchandise and Services: Consists of electronics, apparel, seasonal goods, small appliances, televisions, furniture, optical, tires, third-party gift cards, and other revenues, which constituted approximately 13% of the company’s merchandise sales for fiscal year 2024.
BJ's consumer-focused private label products, sold under Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen brands, comprised approximately 26% of the company's total net sales, excluding gasoline, in fiscal year 2024. These products are primarily premium quality and generally are priced below the branded competing product. The company focuses both on a group of core private label products that compete with national brands that have among the highest market share and yield higher margins and on differentiated products that drive member loyalty.
The company also offers a number of specialty services that are designed to enable members to complete more of their shopping at the company's clubs and to encourage more frequent trips to the clubs. Many of these services are provided by outside operators under license from the company. Specialty services include full-service optical centers; tire installation services; a propane tank filling service; home improvement services; travel services; cell phone kiosks; and product protection plans.
As of February 1, 2025, the company had 186 gasoline stations in operation at or near its clubs. The gas stations are generally self-service.
Digital Offerings
The company has built a robust digital portfolio, which includes BJs.com and the BJ’s mobile app. The company has made it easier for members to purchase, review products, digitally add coupons to their membership card, and view annual member savings. BJs.com showcases the company's club assortment available to members, along with review ratings and coupons for added savings. The above digital portfolio offers the company's members convenient ways to shop, including the BOPIC service, curbside delivery, same-day delivery, or traditional ship-to-home service. The company’s app delivers personalized promotions, improved shopping experiences, and an efficient gateway to the company's fulfillment options. The company's members appreciate the convenience of the BJ’s mobile app, as evidenced by millions of downloads since 2019, as well as the usage of ExpressPay, which allows members to skip checkout lines when they shop in club by paying with their phones. BJ’s Media Edge, which launched in 2022, is the company's retail media program that offers brands a comprehensive advertising solution to connect with BJ’s members.
Membership
The company has a large base of more than 7.5 million paid memberships as of February 1, 2025. The company's target customers care about value, quality and convenience and shop at warehouse clubs for their family needs. The company's target customers are a price sensitive demographic with large household sizes, representing the largest segment of warehouse club shoppers in BJ's trade areas.
During 2023, the company rebranded its memberships and co-branded credit card. Historically, it has offered two core types of memberships: the Club Card (formerly Inner Circle) memberships and business memberships.
The company's higher tier membership was rebranded from BJ’s Perks Rewards to Club+, which offers members the opportunity to earn 2% cash back on most in-club and bjs.com purchases, a 5-cent per gallon discount on gasoline, and effective January 1, 2025, two free same-day deliveries. The company also offers its BJ's One and BJ's One+ Mastercard credit cards (formerly the My BJ’s Perks program). These cards provide members with the opportunity to earn up to 5% cash back on purchases made at the company's clubs or online at bjs.com, up to a 15-cent per gallon discount on gasoline when paying with a BJ's One or BJ's One+ Mastercard at the company's BJ’s Gas locations, and effective January 1, 2025, two free same-day deliveries if such benefit has not already been received under the Club+ program. In fiscal year 2024, Club+ members and co-branded Mastercard members accounted for 39% of members and 50% of merchandise spend (excluding gas and membership fee income).
Advertising and Public Relations
The company promotes customer awareness of its clubs primarily through social media, direct mail, public relations efforts, radio advertising, community involvement, new club marketing programs, and various publications sent to its members periodically throughout the year. These methods result in lower marketing expenses compared to typical retailers.
Intellectual Property
The company has invested significantly in the development and protection of its well-recognized brands, including its private label brands, Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen.
Government Regulation
The company’s operations, including the manufacturing, processing, formulating, packaging, labeling and advertising of products are subject to regulation by various federal agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (the FDA), the Federal Trade Commission (the FTC), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (the USDA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Seasonality
The company's business is moderately seasonal in nature. Historically, the company's business has generally realized a slightly higher portion of net sales, operating income, and cash flows from operations in the second and fourth fiscal quarters (year ended February 2025), attributable primarily to the impact of the summer and year-end holiday season, respectively. The company's quarterly results have been affected by the timing of new club openings and their associated pre-opening expenses.
Trademarks
The company’s trademarks are BJ’s Wholesale Club, BJ’s, Wellsley Farms, Berkley Jensen, My BJ’s Perks, BJ’s Easy Renewal, BJ’s Gas, BJ's One, BJ's One+, BJ’s Perks Elite, BJ’s Perks Plus, Inner Circle, Same-Day-Select, ExpressPay and BJ’s Perks Rewards.
History
The company was founded in 1984. It was incorporated in 2011. The company was formerly known as Beacon Holding Inc. and changed its name to BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. in 2018.