BJ’s March Comps Remain Steady

BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. said sales for March 2009 increased by 1.7% to $870.3 million from $855.9 million in March 2008. On a comparable club basis, sales for March 2009 decreased by 0.1%, including a negative impact from sales of gasoline of 8.6%. Excluding the negative impact of gasoline sales, merchandise comparable club sales increased by 8.5%. A calendar shift in the timing of Easter had a positive impact on comparable club sales of approximately 2.0%.

For March 2008, the company reported a comparable club sales increase of 6.0%, including a positive impact from gasoline sales of 3.4%. A calendar shift in the timing of pre-Easter holiday sales versus March of 2007 had a negative impact on comparable club sales of approximately 2.5% to 3.0%.

• Sales results by week reflected the calendar shift in the timing of Easter, which fell in week four last year. Merchandise comparable club sales, excluding gasoline, increased in weeks one, two, four and five, and decreased in week three.
  
• The Metro New York region had the highest comparable club sales increase and the Southeast region had the largest decrease. However, excluding the negative impact of gasoline, comparable club sales increased in all regions, with the highest increases in Metro New York, the Southeast and Upstate New York regions.
  
• Excluding sales of gasoline, traffic increased by approximately 7%, reflecting a positive impact of approximately 2% from the extra day of sales versus last year. The average transaction amount increased by approximately 2%.
  
• Sales of food increased by approximately 11% and general merchandise sales increased by about 4%.
  
• Departments with the strongest sales increases compared to last year included breakfast foods, candy, canned fruits and vegetables, cigarettes, computer hardware and software, dairy, deli, frozen foods, health and beauty aids, household chemicals, housewares, meat, paper, pasta and pasta sauces, pet foods, prepared foods, produce, small appliances, snacks, televisions and video games. Weaker departments versus last year included apparel, eggs, jewelry, prerecorded video, sporting goods, storage, summer seasonal, trash bags and water.

The company currently operates 180 BJ’s Wholesale clubs in 15 states. BJ’s introduced the wholesale club concept to New England in 1984 and has since expanded to become a leading warehouse chain in the eastern United States.