Below is a comparison of the 3 major warehouse club operators in the U.S. – Costco Wholesale, Sam’s Club (owned by Wal-Mart), and BJ’s Wholesale. Each of these companies ranks in the top 30 largest U.S. retailers by revenue, and warehouse clubs have increasingly become the preferred shopping destination for million of consumers.
Posts Tagged 'bj’s wholesale (bj)'
Retail Throwdown: Warehouse Club Edition
Published January 4, 2011 Uncategorized 1 CommentTags: bj's wholesale (bj), costco (cost), retail, sam's club, warehouse clubs
Looking Beyond the Numbers
Published June 7, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: bj's wholesale (bj), costco (cost), retail sales, ross stores (rost), tjx companies
|
The retail sales results for May and the recent jobs report (or lack of enough jobs report) were, at best, mixed. It is clear, and has been for several months, that the recovery is going to be a slow, difficult, up and down ride. This is not going to be a year of a rising tide lifting all boats. There are going to be some winners and losers.
The category that continues to be strong is the value/discount sector. BJ’s, Costco, TJX and Ross in particular. Those retailers held firm throughout 2009 and have remained solid this year. Target, Victoria’s Secret and Aeropostale also appear firm. Those latter 3 each have their own formula that is working.
The outdoor segment continues to do well. RetailSails hears that The North Face is showing double-digit gains with their classic, best-selling, Denali jacket (which they had thought of stopping production on for fear of it being too old school) having it’s best year ever. Also, Patagonia has put together a very robust 6 months.
Saks, Nordstrom’s and Neiman Marcus, who all reported double-digit drops last year and therefore have easier numbers to hit, all reported very good comps for May after a strong March and April. Conversely, teen retailers like A&F, American Eagle and Hot Topic are struggling and will be going through a clearance phase for the next month or two.
Additionally, Forever 21 and Zara appear to have an inventory buildup as well that they are going to have to liquidate at reduced prices. This will press the traditional department stores, which have been barely hanging on, to feel the price and margin pressure.
How long will this go on for? The consumer picture is not going to change dramatically for at least 6 months. So there will continue to be winners and losers. Michael Niemira, chief economist at the International Council of Shopping Centers, forecast a 3 percent increase for June, partially because of the Memorial Day weekend switch from may to June. Arnold Aronson, managing director of Kurt Salmon Associates predicted a low single digit gain.
February Retail Sales Reports Start Rolling In
Published March 3, 2010 Uncategorized 2 CommentsTags: bj's wholesale (bj), cke restaurants (ckr), costco (cost), neiman marcus, retail sales, same-store sales, walgreens (wag)
|
Several retailers we follow reported February same-store sales this morning, and another 25 or so will release results tomorrow morning. After 12 straight monthly declines, retailers have posted 5 consecutive monthly gains and we expect that momentum to continue for February.
This morning, MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse released figures which showed most sectors saw gains in February, led by robust growth in luxury goods (+15.2% excluding jewelry), consumer electronics (+5.8%) and online sales (+16.7%). However, overall spending still remains depressed, led by weakness at clothing stores which saw a 1.8% decline on top of an 11.8% drop in the year-ago period. Continue reading ‘February Retail Sales Reports Start Rolling In’
Pricesmart – June Same-Store Sales
Published July 7, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a CommentTags: bj's wholesale (bj), costco (cost), pricesmart (psmt), retail sales, same-store sales, warehouse clubs
Pricemart, which operates US-style membership warehouse clubs in Central America and the Caribbean, reported monthly sales results for June today. Net sales increased 4.0% to $95.7 Million, while same-store sales were up 1.4% YoY on top of a 20.0% gain in the year-ago period. Though they are still outperforming their peers, having yet to report negative same-store sales throughout the recession, growth has slowed considerably over the past year.
The company has momentum on its side, as they have reduced debt, worked out operational issues, and have been able to significantly grow the bottom line over the past few years. With only 26 warehouse clubs currently in operation in a geographic area that is still in its infancy, there is certainly room for future growth. They have been fairly immune to weak economic conditions so far, and the next few months should be telling as to whether they can keep up the strong performance.
