Item 1. Business
General
BJ’s Wholesale Club is a leading warehouse club operator concentrated primarily on the east coast of the United States. We deliver significant value to our members, consistently offering 25% or more savings on a representative basket of manufacturer-branded groceries compared to traditional supermarket competitors. We provide a curated assortment focused on perishable products, continuously refreshed general merchandise, gasoline and other ancillary services to deliver a differentiated shopping experience that is further enhanced by our omnichannel capabilities.
Since pioneering the warehouse club model in New England in 1984, we have grown our footprint to 226 large-format, high volume warehouse clubs spanning 17 states. In our core New England markets, which have high population density and generate a disproportionate part of U.S. gross domestic product ("GDP"), we operate almost three times the number of clubs compared to the next largest warehouse club competitor. In addition to shopping in our clubs, members are able to shop when and how they want through our website, bjs.com, and our highly rated mobile app, which allows them to use our buy-online-pickup-in-club ("BOPIC") service, curbside delivery, same day home delivery or traditional ship-to-home service.
Our leadership team continues to implement significant cultural and operational changes to our business, including transforming how we use data to improve member experience, instilling a culture of cost discipline, adopting a more proactive approach to growing our membership base and building an omnichannel offering oriented towards making shopping at BJ’s more convenient. These changes continue to delivered results rapidly, evidenced by year-over-year income from continuing operations growth, consecutive quarter comparable club sales growth over the last three years and adjusted EBITDA growth over the last three years.
Our goal is to offer our members significant value and a meaningful return in savings on their annual membership fee. We have more than six million members paying annual fees to gain access to savings on groceries and general merchandise and services. The annual membership fee for our Inner Circle® membership is $55, and the annual membership fee for our BJ’s Perks Rewards® membership, which offers additional value-enhancing features, is $110. We believe that members can save over ten times their $55 Inner Circle membership fee versus what they would otherwise pay at traditional supermarket competitors when they spend $2,500 or more per year at BJ’s on manufacturer-branded groceries. In addition to providing significant savings on a representative basket of manufacturer-branded groceries, we accept all manufacturer coupons and also carry our own exclusive brands that enable members to save on price without compromising on quality. Our two private label brands, Wellsley Farms® and Berkley Jensen®, represent over $3.0 billion in annual sales, and are the largest brands we sell in terms of volume. Our customers recognize the relevance of our value proposition across economic environments, as demonstrated by over 20 consecutive years of membership fee income growth. Our membership fee income was $360.9 million for fiscal year 2021.
Industry Overview
Warehouse clubs offer a relatively narrow assortment of food and general merchandise items within a wide range of product categories. In order to achieve high sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover, merchandise selections are generally limited to items that are brand name leaders in their categories alongside an assortment of private label brands. Since warehouse clubs sell a diversified selection of product categories, they attract customers from a wide range of other wholesale and retail distribution channels, such as supermarkets, supercenters, internet retailers, gasoline stations, hard discounters, department and specialty stores and operators selling a narrow range of merchandise. These higher cost distribution channels have traditionally been unable to match the low prices offered by warehouse clubs over long periods of time.
Warehouse clubs eliminate many of the merchandise handling costs associated with traditional multiple-step distribution channels by purchasing full truckloads of merchandise directly from manufacturers and by storing merchandise on the sales floor rather than in central warehouses. By operating no-frills, self-service warehouse facilities, warehouse clubs have fixturing and operating costs substantially below those of traditional retailers. Because of their higher sales volumes and rapid inventory turnover, warehouse clubs generate cash from the sale of a large portion of their inventory before they are required to pay merchandise vendors. As a result, a greater percentage of the inventory is financed through vendor payment terms than by working capital. Two broad groups of customers, individual households and small businesses, have been attracted to the savings made possible by the high sales volumes and operating efficiencies achieved by warehouse clubs. Customers at warehouse clubs are generally limited to members who pay an annual fee.
Our Clubs
As of January 29, 2022, we operated 226 clubs ranging in size from 63,000 square feet to 163,000 square feet. We aim to locate our larger clubs in high density, high traffic locations that are difficult to replicate. We design our 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 eight acres to approximately fourteen acres. Our clubs are located in both free-standing locations and shopping centers.
Our ability to achieve profitable operations depends upon high sales volumes and the efficient operation of our warehouse clubs. We buy most of our merchandise directly from manufacturers and route it to cross-docking consolidation points (distribution centers) or directly to our clubs. Our company-operated and contracted distribution centers receive large shipments from manufacturers and quickly ship these goods to individual clubs, generally within 24 hours. This process creates freight volume and handling efficiencies, eliminating many costs associated with traditional multiple-step distribution channels, including distributors’ commissions and the cost of storing merchandise in central distribution facilities. We work closely 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.
A summary of our club locations by market as of January 29, 2022 is set forth in the table below:
| | | | | | | | |
Market | | Club Count |
New York | | 46 | |
Florida | | 34 | |
Massachusetts | | 25 | |
New Jersey | | 23 | |
Pennsylvania | | 18 | |
Connecticut | | 13 | |
Virginia | | 13 | |
Maryland | | 12 | |
North Carolina | | 9 | |
New Hampshire | | 7 | |
Ohio | | 6 | |
Georgia | | 5 | |
Delaware | | 4 | |
Michigan | | 4 | |
Maine | | 3 | |
Rhode Island | | 3 | |
South Carolina | | 1 | |
Segments
Our retail operations, which include retail club and other sales procured from our clubs and DC’s, represent substantially all of our consolidated total revenues, are our only reportable segment. All of our identifiable assets are located in the United States. We do not have significant sales outside the United States, nor does any customer represent more than 10% of total revenues for any period presented.
Merchandising
We service our existing members and attract 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. We limit the items offered in each product line to fast selling styles, sizes and colors, carrying approximately 7,000 core active stock keeping units ("SKUs"). We may add additional temporary SKUs from time to time to keep up with demand, such as that created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
By contrast, supermarkets normally carry an average of 40,000 SKUs, and supercenters may stock 100,000 SKUs or more. We work closely 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 our members.
We group our merchandise offerings into two divisions: grocery and general merchandise and services.
•Grocery: consists of our 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 83% of our merchandise sales for fiscal year 2021.
•General merchandise and services: consist of optical, tires, small appliances, televisions, electronics, seasonal goods, gift cards, and apparel, which constituted approximately 17% of our merchandise sales for fiscal year 2021.
BJ’s consumer-focused private label products, sold under Wellsley Farms® and Berkley Jensen® brands, comprised approximately 23% of our total merchandise sales in fiscal year 2021. These products are primarily premium quality and generally are priced below the branded competing product. We focus both on a group of core private label products that compete with national brands that have among the highest market share and yield high margins and on differentiated products that drive member loyalty.
We also offer a number of specialty services that are designed to enable members to complete more of their shopping at our clubs and to encourage more frequent trips to the clubs. Many of these services are provided by outside operators under license from us. 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 January 29, 2022, we had 157 gasoline stations in operation at or near our clubs. The gas stations are generally self-service, with some locations accepting cash. We generally maintain our gas prices below the average retail prices in each market as a means of illustrating a favorable price image to existing and prospective members.
Omnichannel Offering
We have built a robust digital portfolio which consists of BJs.com, BerkleyJensen.com, Wellsleyfarms.com, Delivery.bjs.com as well as the BJ’s mobile app. We have made it easier for members to purchase, review products, digitally add coupons to their membership card and view annual member savings. BJs.com showcases our club assortment available to members along with review ratings and coupons for added savings. The above digital portfolio offers our members convenient ways to shop, including our BOPIC service, curbside delivery, same day home delivery or traditional ship-to-home service. Our app delivers personalized promotions, improved shopping experiences, and an efficient gateway to our fulfillment options. Our members appreciate the convenience of the BJ’s mobile app, as evidenced by millions of downloads since fiscal year 2019. We have rolled out the ability to use state Electronic Benefit Transfer ("EBT") cards when shopping on BJs.com. In addition, in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2021, we launched ExpressPay®, which allows members to skip checkout lines when they shop in club by paying with their phones.
Membership
Paid membership is an essential element of the warehouse club concept. In addition to providing a source of revenue which permits us to offer low prices, membership reinforces customer loyalty. We have a large base of more than six million paid memberships as of January 29, 2022. Our target customers care about value, quality and convenience and shop at warehouse clubs for their family needs. Our target customers are a price sensitive demographic with large household sizes, representing the largest segment of warehouse club shoppers in BJ’s trade areas.
We offer two core types of memberships: Inner Circle® memberships and business memberships. We generally charge $55 per year for a primary Inner Circle membership that includes one additional card for a household member. Primary members may purchase up to three supplemental memberships for $30 each. A primary business membership costs $55 per year and includes one free supplemental membership. Business members may purchase up to eight additional supplemental business memberships at $30 each. U.S. military personnel—active and veteran—who enroll at a BJ’s club location can do so for a reduced membership fee.
BJ’s Perks Rewards®, our higher tier of membership, offers members the opportunity to earn 2% cash back on most in-club and bjs.com purchases. The annual fee for a BJ’s Perks Rewards membership is $110 per year. We also offer our co-branded My BJ’s Perks® Mastercard® credit cards. These cards provide members with the opportunity to earn up to 5% cash back on purchases made at our clubs or online at bjs.com and a 10-cent per gallon discount on gasoline when paying with a My BJ’s Perks Mastercard® at our BJ’s Gas locations. Since fiscal year 2014, we have grown co-branded Mastercard® holders by over 800%. In fiscal year 2021, BJ’s Perks Rewards members and co-branded Mastercard® members accounted for 35% of members and 45% of spend, compared to 31% of members and 41% of spend in fiscal year 2020.
Advertising and Public Relations
We promote customer awareness of our clubs primarily through social media, direct mail, public relations efforts, radio advertising, community involvement, new club marketing programs and various publications sent to our members periodically throughout the year. These methods result in low marketing expenses compared to typical retailers.
Competition
We compete with a wide range of national, regional and local retailers and wholesalers selling food and/or general merchandise in our markets, including supermarkets, supercenters, general merchandise chains, specialty chains, gasoline stations and other warehouse clubs, some of which have significantly greater financial and marketing resources than BJ’s. Major competitors that operate warehouse clubs include Costco Wholesale Corporation and Sam’s Clubs (a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.), both of which operate on a multi-national basis.
We believe price is the major competitive factor in the markets in which we compete. Other competitive factors include club location, merchandise selection, member services and name recognition. We believe our efficient, low-cost form of distribution gives us a significant competitive advantage over more traditional channels of retail distribution.
Intellectual Property
We believe that, to varying degrees, our trademarks, trade names, copyrights, proprietary processes, trade secrets, patents, trade dress, domain names and similar intellectual property add significant value to our business and are important to our success. We have invested significantly in the development and protection of our well-recognized brands, including our private label brands, Wellsley Farms® and Berkley Jensen®. We believe that products sold under our private label brands are high quality, offered to our members at prices that are generally lower than those for comparable national brand products and help lower costs, differentiate our merchandise offerings from other retailers and generally earn higher margins. We expect to continue to increase the sales penetration of our private label items.
We rely on trademark and copyright laws, trade-secret protection, and confidentiality, license and other agreements with our suppliers, employees and others to protect our intellectual property rights. However, trademarks are generally valid and may be renewed indefinitely as long as they are in use and their registrations are properly maintained.
Government Regulation
Compliance with various governmental regulations has an impact on our business, including our capital expenditures, earnings and competitive position, which can be material. We incur costs to monitor, and take actions to comply with, governmental regulations that are applicable to our business, which include, among others, federal securities laws and regulations, applicable to exchange requirements, labor and employment laws, laws governing truth-in-advertising, privacy laws, environmental laws, safety regulations and other laws, including consumer protection regulations that regulate retailers and govern the promotion and sale of merchandise and the operation of clubs, warehouses and Company-operated and contracted distribution center facilities.
Our clubs are also subject to various local, state and federal laws, regulations and administrative practices affecting our business. We must comply with provisions regulating health and sanitation standards, food labeling, equal employment, minimum wages, environmental protection, licensing for the sale of food and, in many clubs, licensing for beer and wine or other alcoholic beverages. Our 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. We rely on contractual provisions to ensure compliance by our vendors.
See "Item 1A. Risk Factors" for a discussion of material risks to us, including, to the extent material, to our competitive position, relating to governmental regulations, and see "Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" together with our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto for a discussion of material information relevant to an assessment of our financial condition and results of operations, including, to the extent material, the effects that compliance with governmental regulations may have upon our capital expenditures and earnings.
Food
The FDA has comprehensive authority to regulate the safety of food and food ingredients (other than meat, poultry, catfish and certain egg products), as well as dietary supplements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the "FDCA"). Similarly, the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service is the public health agency responsible for ensuring that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, catfish and certain egg products is safe, wholesome and correctly labeled and packaged under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act.
Congress amended the FDCA in 2011 through passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (the "FSMA"), which greatly expanded the FDA’s regulatory obligations over all actors in the supply chain. Industry actors continue to determine the best pathways to implement FSMA’s regulatory mandates and the FDA’s promulgating regulations throughout supply chains, as most requirements are now in effect. Such regulations mandate that risk-based preventive controls be observed by the majority of food producers. This authority applies to all domestic food facilities and, by way of imported food supplier verification requirements, to all foreign facilities that supply food products.
The FDA also exercises broad jurisdiction over the labeling and promotion of food. Labeling is a broad concept that, under certain circumstances, extends to product-related claims and representations made on a company’s website or similar printed or graphic medium. All foods, including dietary supplements, must bear labeling that provides consumers with essential information with respect to standards of identity, net quantity, nutrition facts, ingredient statement and allergen disclosures. The FDA also regulates the use of structure/function claims, health claims and nutrient content claims.
Dietary Supplements
The FDA has comprehensive authority to regulate the safety of dietary supplements, dietary ingredients, labeling and current good manufacturing practices. Congress amended the FDCA in 1994 through passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (the "DSHEA"), which greatly expanded the FDA’s regulatory authority over dietary supplements. Through DSHEA, dietary supplements became their own regulated commodity while also allowing structure/function claims on products. However, no statement on a dietary supplement may expressly or implicitly represent that it will diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or prevent a disease.
Food and Dietary Supplement Advertising
The FTC exercises jurisdiction over the advertising of foods and dietary supplements. The FTC has the power to institute monetary sanctions and the imposition of consent decrees and penalties that can severely limit a company’s business practices. In recent years, the FTC has instituted numerous enforcement actions against dietary supplement companies for failure to have adequate substantiation for claims made in advertising or for the use of false or misleading advertising claims.
Compliance
As is common in our industry, we rely on our suppliers and contract manufacturers, including those of our private label products, to ensure that the products they manufacture and sell to us comply with all applicable regulatory and legislative requirements. We do not directly manufacture any goods. In general, we seek certifications of compliance, representations and warranties, indemnification or insurance from our suppliers and contract manufacturers. However, even with adequate insurance and indemnification, any claims of non-compliance could significantly damage our reputation and consumer confidence in products we sell. In addition, the failure of such products to comply with applicable regulatory and legislative requirements could prevent us from marketing the products or require us to recall or remove such products from our clubs. In order to comply with applicable statutes and regulations, our suppliers and contract manufacturers have from time to time reformulated, eliminated or relabeled certain of their products, and we have revised certain provisions of our sales and marketing program.
We monitor changes in these laws and believe that we are in material compliance with applicable laws.
Seasonality
Our business is moderately seasonal in nature. Historically, our 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, attributable primarily to the impact of the summer and year-end holiday season, respectively. Our quarterly results have been and will continue to be affected by the timing of new club openings and their associated pre-opening expenses. As a result of these factors, our financial results for any single quarter or for periods of less than a year are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for a full fiscal year.
Employees and Human Capital Resources
As of January 29, 2022, we had approximately 34,000 full-time and part-time employees, whom we refer to as team members. None of our team members are represented by a union. We consider our relations with our team members to be good.
Team Member Engagement. We provide all team members with the opportunity to share their opinions and feedback on our culture through a survey that is performed every year. Results of the survey are measured and analyzed to enhance the team member experience, promote retention of team members, drive change, and leverage the overall success of our Company.
Diversity. We strive to foster a work environment that includes and embraces diversity of background and perspective, including, but not limited to, with respect to age, gender, race, place of residence and specialized experience. As of the end of fiscal year 2021, 45% of our total workforce were women and 48% were minorities. During fiscal year 2021, 42% of our new hires were women and 47% of our new hires were minorities. We have a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination and harassment and have several systems under which team members can report incidents confidentially or anonymously and without fear of reprisal. We have an Inclusion & Diversity council which is comprised of a cross-functional team representing diversity of backgrounds, ethnicity, gender, and self-identification. This council is responsible for identifying and driving actions and initiatives to advance the Company’s inclusion and diversity mission.
Total Rewards. We believe our team members are the key to our success and we offer competitive programs to meet the needs of our colleagues and their families. Our programs include annual bonuses, 401(k) plans, stock awards, an employee stock purchase plan, paid time off, flexible work schedules, family leave, team member assistance programs, and more, based on eligibility criteria. We take the health and wellness of our team members seriously. We provide our eligible team members with access to a variety of innovative, flexible and convenient health and wellness programs. Additionally, the Company provides resources, such as an onsite chiropractor, a health clinic and a fitness center for team members. Such programs are designed to support team members’ physical and mental health by providing tools and resources to help them improve or maintain their health status and encourage engagement in healthy behaviors. The Company also provides team members with comprehensive medical benefits, dental, and behavioral and mental wellness benefits.
Team Member Development. Training and development programs for our team members help retain and advance them into future roles with the company. We provide online and on-the-job training through innovative delivery tools which are easy to use and focused on the core skills needed to be successful at BJ’s Wholesale Club. We provide several management and leadership programs that develop and educate our leaders so they can provide the best work environment and growth opportunities to all our team members.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further reinforced the importance of a safe and healthy workforce. In response to the pandemic, the Company implemented safeguards to protect our essential team members, including increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting, social distancing practices, face coverings, temperature screening and other measures consistent with specific regulatory requirements and guidance from health authorities. We also implemented a vaccine mandate for all team members in the home office and field management and provided vaccine clinics for our team members. Additional safeguards included travel restrictions and remote work for team members who were able to work from home during fiscal year 2021.
Community Involvement. We have a long and proud history of investing in the communities where we live and work. BJ’s Charitable Foundation was established with the mission to enrich every community BJ’s Wholesale Club serves. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that primarily benefit the underprivileged in the areas of hunger prevention and education. Throughout the year, the Foundation makes multiple direct donations from the Company to support food banks and pantry programs in communities that our clubs serve.
Corporate Information
Our principal operating subsidiary is BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc., which was previously an independent publicly traded corporation until its acquisition on September 30, 2011 by a subsidiary of Beacon Holding Inc., a company incorporated on June 24, 2011 by investment funds affiliated with or advised by CVC Capital Partners and Leonard Green & Partners, L.P ("the Sponsors"), for the purpose of the acquisition. BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. changed its name from Beacon Holding Inc. on February 23, 2018. On July 2, 2018, BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. became a publicly traded entity in connection with its IPO and listing on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the ticker symbol "BJ."
We make available on our website (http://www.bjs.com), or through a link posted on our website, free of charge, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). In addition, the SEC maintains an internet site that contains these reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC (http://www.sec.gov).
The information on our website or that can be accessed through our website is not incorporated by reference and should not be considered to be a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Information About our Executive Officers
The following are the executive officers of BJ’s Wholesale Club as of March 17, 2022:
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Name | Age | Office and Business Experience |
Robert W. Eddy | 49 | Robert W. Eddy has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and as a member of our Board of Directors since April 2021. Mr. Eddy joined the Company in 2007 as Senior Vice President, Finance and was named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2011 and served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer from 2018 to April 2021 when he became President and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to joining BJ’s, Mr. Eddy served retail and consumer products companies as a member of the audit and business advisory practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, in Boston and San Francisco. Mr. Eddy is a graduate of Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.
Mr. Eddy currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the National Retail Federation. From 2013 to 2017, Mr. Eddy chaired the Financial Executives Council of the National Retail Federation. He is also a member of the College Advisory Board for Babson College. |
Laura L. Felice | 40 | Laura L. Felice has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer since April 2021. Prior to that Ms. Felice served as Senior Vice President, Controller since November 2016 and was responsible for the integrity of our financial records. Prior to joining BJ’s, Ms. Felice worked at Clarks Americas, Inc., a footwear chain, since 2008 in positions of increasing responsibility, including most recently as Senior Vice President of Finance from November 2015 to November 2016, where she led all aspects of commercial finance for the Americas region distribution channels. Additionally, Ms. Felice worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a multinational professional services firm from 2003 to 2008. She is a Certified Public Accountant and currently serves as a Board member, Vice-Chair and Finance Committee Chair for the Massachusetts Society of CPAs. She holds a Master of Accounting and a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Finance and Accounting from Boston College. |
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Paul Cichocki | 52 | Paul Cichocki has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer since April 2021 and oversees merchandising, membership, marketing and analytics. From April 2020 to April 2021, Mr. Cichocki served as Executive Vice President, Membership, Analytics and Business Transformation and was responsible for the strategy and vision for the Company's membership, marketing and analytics divisions. Prior to joining BJ’s, Mr. Cichocki most recently served as Partner at Bain & Company, a management consulting firm, from 2005 to April 2020, where he led Bain’s scale consulting delivery capabilities and was responsible for integrating and coordinating Bain’s consulting support and delivery organizations globally. He initially joined Bain & Company in 1997 as a consultant and spent more than 20 years serving clients across a range of industries, including retail, consumer products, financial services and food and beverage. Mr. Cichocki was also a member of Bain & Company’s Global Operating Committee from 2017 to 2020 and Investment Committee from 2019 to 2020. Prior to Bain & Company, Mr. Cichocki worked as an Operating Manager at Frito-Lay, a snack manufacturing division of PepsiCo., from 1991 to 1995. Mr. Cichocki attended Harvard Business School, where he earned a Master of Business Administration with distinction. He is also a graduate from the University of Massachusetts, where he received a bachelor’s degree in operations management with high honors. |
Jeff Desroches | 45 | Jeff Desroches joined BJ's in 2001 and has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer since April 2018. As Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer, Mr. Desroches leads all operations, Club Team Members, Regional Field Staff, and policies and procedures at all the Company’s clubs and fuel stations as well as omni fulfillment, supply chain and asset protection. Prior to that, Mr. Desroches held several positions at BJ's, including Regional Asset Protection Manager for the Metro New York market from 2001 to 2007, Vice President of Asset Protection from 2007 to 2010 and Senior Vice President of Supply Chain from 2010 until his promotion to his current role in April 2018. Prior to BJ’s, Mr. Desroches held various operational and warehousing roles at Service Merchandise Company, Inc., a retail chain, from 1993 to 2000 and Kmart Corporation, a discount department store chain, from 2000 to 2001. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration from American Intercontinental University. |
Scott Kessler | 55 | Scott Kessler has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer since May 2017 and is responsible for information technology, including ensuring that the Company has the technology, systems and people in place to support the Company’s transformation. Prior to joining the Company, he was Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer at Belk, Inc., a department store chain, from 2014 to October 2016, where he led efforts to strengthen the information technology systems, improve system operations and further define the omnichannel roadmap. Prior to that, Mr. Kessler was Senior Vice President, Products Technology at GSI Commerce, Inc., a technology and services company, from 2004 to 2013. Mr. Kessler holds a Master of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. |
Graham N. Luce | 52 | Graham N. Luce has served as our Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary since April 2015 and provides senior management with strategic advice on Company initiatives, complex business transactions and litigation, as well as counsel on all corporate governance-related matters. He also serves as Secretary of the Company. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Luce worked at Bain & Company, a management consulting firm, from 2000 to April 2015 and Goodwin Procter LLP, a global law firm, from 1995 to 2000. He holds a Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law and bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Electrical Engineering from Tufts University. |
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Monica Schwartz | 47 | Monica Schwartz has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Digital Officer since October 2021 and is responsible for driving the Company’s vision and strategy for its e-commerce and omnichannel efforts. She joined the Company in August 2020 and previously served as our Senior Vice President, Chief Digital Officer from August 2020 to October 2021. Ms. Schwartz most recently served as Vice President, Online Merchandising at The Home Depot, Inc., a home improvement retailer, from December 2017 to September 2019 and was responsible for the e-commerce site and driving innovation. Prior to that, she served as the Executive Vice President of Digital at Nine West Group, a fashion retailer, from 2015 to 2017. From 2014 to 2015 Ms. Schwartz served as Chief Global Digital Officer at Stuart Weitzman Holdings, LLC, a women’s footwear and handbag retailer. From 2012 to 2014, she served as Executive Director, e-commerce at David Yurman Enterprises, LLC, a jewelry design company. Prior to that she held positions of increasing responsibility at E-bay, Inc., an e-commerce corporation, from 2007 to 2012. From 2005 to 2007, she held positions with Countrywide Financial Corporation, a financial services company, and from 1998 to 2001 she held positions with MediaHippo, an interactive media agency. She holds a Master of Business Administration at the University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Miami University. |
William C. Werner | 44 | William C. Werner has served as our Executive Vice President, Strategy and Development since April 2021 and is responsible for building the Company’s market expansion and key strategic initiatives. Previously, Mr. Werner served as our Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning and Investor Relations from November 2016 to April 2021, Senior Vice President, Finance from 2013 to November 2016 and as our Vice President, Accounting and Financial Reporting from 2012 to 2013. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Werner was a Director in the Deals practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, a multinational professional services firm, from 2007 to 2012. He holds a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Mathematics and Accounting from the College of the Holy Cross. |
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Set forth below are the risks that we believe are material to our investors and they should be carefully considered. These risks are not all of the risks that we face and other factors not presently known to us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and/or stock price if they occur. This section contains forward-looking statements. You should refer to the explanation of the qualifications and limitations on forward-looking statements in the Forward-Looking Statements section above.
Risks Relating to Our Business
Our business may be affected by issues that affect consumer spending.
Our results of operations are affected by the level of consumer spending and, therefore, by changes in the economic factors that impact consumer spending. Certain economic conditions or events, such as a contraction in the financial markets; high rates of inflation or deflation; high unemployment levels; decreases in consumer disposable income; unavailability of consumer credit; higher consumer debt levels; higher tax rates and other changes in tax laws; higher interest rates; higher fuel, energy and other commodity costs; weakness in the housing market; higher insurance and health care costs; and product cost increases resulting from an increase in commodity prices, could reduce or shift consumer spending generally, which could cause our customers to spend less or to shift their spending to our competitors. Reduced consumer spending may result in reduced demand for our items and may also require increased selling and promotional expenses. Issues or trends that affect consumer spending broadly could affect spending by our members disproportionately. A reduction or shift in consumer spending could negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We depend on having a large and loyal membership, and any harm to our relationship with our members could have a material adverse effect on our business, net sales and results of operations.
We depend on having a large and loyal membership. The extent to which we achieve growth in our membership base and sustain high renewal rates materially influences our profitability. Further, our net sales are directly affected by the number of our members, the number of BJ’s Perks Rewards® members and holders of our My BJ’s Perks® Mastercard® credit cards, the frequency with which our members shop at our clubs and the amount they spend on those trips, which means the loyalty and enthusiasm of our members directly impacts our net sales and operating income. Accordingly, anything that would harm our
relationship with our members and lead to lower membership renewal rates or reduced spending by members in our clubs could materially adversely affect our net sales, membership fee income and results of operations.
Factors that could adversely affect our relationship with our members include: our failure to remain competitive in our pricing relative to our competitors; our failure to provide the expected quality of merchandise; our failure to offer the mix of products that our members want to purchase; events that harm our reputation or the reputation of our private brands; our failure to provide the convenience that our members may expect over time, including with respect to technology, delivery and physical location of our clubs; increases to our membership fees; and increased competition from stores, clubs or internet retailers that have a more attractive mix of price, quality and convenience. In addition, we constantly need to attract new members to replace our members who fail to renew and to grow our membership base. If we fail to attract new members, our membership fee income and net sales could suffer.
Our business plan and operating results depend on our ability to procure the merchandise we sell at the best possible prices.
Our business plan depends on our ability to procure the merchandise we sell at the best possible prices. Because we price our merchandise aggressively, the difference between the price at which we sell a given item and the cost at which we purchase it is often much smaller than it would be for our non-club competitors. Further, it is often not possible for us to reflect increases in our cost of goods by increasing our prices to members. Accordingly, small changes in the prices at which we purchase our goods for resale can have a substantial impact on our operating profits. If we are unable to purchase goods at attractive prices relative to our competitors, our growth could suffer. If the prices we pay for goods increase, our operating profit and results of operations could suffer, and if we are forced to increase our prices to our members, our member loyalty could suffer.
We depend on vendors to supply us with quality merchandise at the right time and at the right price.
We depend heavily on our ability to purchase merchandise in sufficient quantities at competitive prices. We source our merchandise from a wide variety of domestic and international vendors. Finding qualified vendors who meet our standards and acquiring merchandise in a timely and efficient manner are significant challenges, especially with respect to vendors located and merchandise sourced outside the United States. We have no assurances of continued supply, pricing or access to new products, and, in general, any vendor could at any time change the terms upon which it sells to us or discontinue selling to us. In addition, member demand may lead to insufficient in-stock quantities of our merchandise.
Competition may adversely affect our profitability.
The retail industry is highly competitive. We compete primarily against other warehouse club operators and grocery and general merchandise retailers, including supermarkets and supercenters, and gasoline stations. Given the value and bulk purchasing orientation of our customer base, we compete to a lesser extent with internet retailers, hard discounters, department and specialty stores and other operators selling a narrow range of merchandise. Some of these competitors, including two major warehouse club operators - Sam’s Club (a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) and Costco Wholesale Corporation - operate on a multi-national basis and have significantly greater financial and marketing resources than BJ’s. These retailers and wholesalers compete in a variety of ways, including with respect to price, services offered to customers, distribution strategy, merchandise selection and availability, location, convenience, store hours and the attractiveness and ease of use of websites and mobile applications. The evolution of retailing through online and mobile channels has also improved the ability of customers to comparison shop with digital devices, which has enhanced competition. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to compete successfully with existing or future competitors. Our inability to respond effectively to competitive factors may have an adverse effect on our profitability as a result of lost market share, lower sales or increased operating costs, among other things.
Changes in laws related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ("SNAP"), to the governmental administration of SNAP or to SNAP’s EBT systems could adversely impact our results of operations.
Under SNAP, we are currently authorized to accept EBT payments, or food stamps, at our clubs as tender for eligible items. Changes in state and federal laws governing the SNAP program, including reductions in program benefits, restrictions on program eligibility, or rules on where and for what EBT cards may be used, could reduce sales at our clubs. For example, in December 2019, the federal government approved changes in the program’s administration, including limiting the time period during which certain able-bodied adults without dependents are eligible to receive SNAP benefits to three months in a 36-month period. Any such program changes or reductions in funding for the SNAP program overall could decrease sales at our clubs and thereby materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The novel coronavirus ("COVID-19"), or any future pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of any other infectious disease, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The COVID-19 pandemic, including the emergence of new variants, has caused, and could continue to cause, significant disruptions to the United States, regional and global economies and has contributed, and may continue to contribute, to
significant volatility and negative pressure in financial markets. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic, or the future pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of any other highly infectious disease, affects our business, operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the scope, severity and duration of such pandemic, the emergence of new variants, the actions taken to contain the pandemic or mitigate its impact, including the adoption, administration and effectiveness of available COVID-19 vaccines, and the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures, among others. The rapid development and fluidity of this situation precludes any prediction as to the full adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic, or any future pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of any other highly infection disease, may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, and may have the effect of heightening many of the risks described in this "Risk Factors" section, including:
•a complete or partial closure of, or a decrease in member traffic at, one or more of our clubs, due to government restrictions and limitations intended to promote social distancing and contain the spread of COVID-19, which could adversely affect our net sales and operating results;
•any difficulties and delays in obtaining products from our distributors and suppliers, delivering products to our clubs and adequately staffing our clubs and distribution centers, which have resulted in, and could continue to result in, an inability to maintain inventory levels and meet our members’ demands and have caused, and may continue to cause, us to seek alternative and potentially more expensive sources of supply;
•a decrease in consumer discretionary spending and confidence or changes in our members’ needs, each of which could adversely affect member demand for the products we sell, result in shifts in demand to lower priced options and change the mix of products we sell, result in slower inventory turnover and greater markdowns of inventory, cause us to lose existing members and/or fail to attract new members, or otherwise materially adversely affect our net sales and operating results;
•any inability to continue to provide our team members with appropriate compensation and protective measures, which could cause us to be unable to retain current or attract new team members to perform necessary functions within our clubs and distribution centers;
•any spread of COVID-19 among our team members or employees of our distributors or suppliers, within a particular club, distribution center or geographical area, may necessitate that impacted clubs, distribution centers or suppliers operate with reduced staffing or be temporarily closed, which could negatively impact our business and financial condition, as well as our reputation; and
•limited access to our management, support staff and professional advisors, which could decrease the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting, increase our susceptibility to security breaches, or hamper our ability to comply with regulatory obligations, leading to reputational harm and regulatory issues or fines.
Natural disasters and other incidents beyond our control could negatively affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our business could be severely impacted by natural disasters, such as hurricanes, typhoons or earthquakes, or other incidents beyond our control, such as terrorism, riots, acts of violence and other crimes, particularly in locations where our centralized operating systems and administrative personnel are located. For example, our operations are concentrated primarily on the east coast of the United States, and any adverse weather event or natural disaster, such as a hurricane or heavy snow storm, could have a material adverse effect on a substantial portion of our operations. Such natural disasters or other incidents could result in, among other things, physical damage to one or more of our properties; the temporary closure of one or more of our clubs, Company-operated or contracted distribution centers or our home office facility; the temporary lack of an adequate work force in a market; a temporary or long-term disruption in merchandise distribution, including issues with the transport of goods to or from overseas; the temporary reduction in the availability of products in our clubs and on-line or a reduction in demand for certain of our products, each of which could have a negative adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Disruptions in our merchandise distribution, including disruption through a third-party perishables consolidator, could adversely affect sales and member satisfaction.
We depend on the orderly operation of our merchandise receiving and distribution process, primarily through our Company-operated and contracted distribution centers. Although we believe that our receiving and distribution process is efficient, unforeseen disruptions in operations due to fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes or other catastrophic events, labor issues or other shipping problems (which may include, but are not limited to, strikes, slowdowns or work stoppages at the ports of entry for the merchandise that we import) may result in delays in the delivery of merchandise to our clubs, which could adversely affect sales and the satisfaction of our members. In addition, increases in distribution costs (including, but not limited to, trucking and freight costs) could adversely affect our expenses, which could adversely affect our operating profit and results of operations.
One third-party distributor currently consolidates a substantial majority of our perishables for shipment to our clubs. While we believe that such a consolidation is in our best interest overall, any disruption in the operations of this distributor could materially impact our sales and profitability. In addition, a prolonged disruption in the operations of this distributor could require us to seek alternative perishables distribution arrangements, which may not be on attractive terms and could lead to delays in the distribution of this merchandise, either of which could have a significant and material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. We have entered into an agreement to acquire four distribution centers and related private transportation fleet from Burris Logistics. The transaction, which is expected to close in the second quarter of fiscal year 2022, is expected to bring end-to-end perishable supply chain in-house. However, there is no assurance that the transaction will be completed on the time frame or the terms that we expect or that, following the closing of the transaction, we will not experience disruption to our logistics processes that could materially impact sales and profitability for the near term while we are integrating the assets into our operations.
We may not timely identify or respond effectively to consumer trends, which could negatively affect our relationship with our members, the demand for our products and services and our market share.
It is difficult to predict consistently and successfully the products and services our members will demand over time. Our success depends, in part, on our ability to identify and respond to evolving trends in demographics and member preferences. Failure to timely identify or respond effectively to changing consumer tastes, preferences (including those relating to environmental, social and governance issues) and spending patterns could lead us to offer our members a mix of products or a level of pricing that they do not find attractive. This could negatively affect our relationship with our members, leading them to reduce both their visits to our clubs and the amount they spend, and potentially impacting their decision to renew their membership. Such a result would adversely affect the demand for our products and services and our market share. If we are not successful at predicting our sales trends and adjusting accordingly, we may also have excess inventory, which could result in additional markdowns and reduce our operating performance. This could have an adverse effect on margins and operating income.
We are subject to payment-related risks, including risks to the security of payment card information.
We accept payments using an increasing variety of methods, including cash, checks, our co-branded credit cards and a variety of other credit and debit cards, as well as Paypal, Apple Pay®, Google Pay, EBT payments and Buy Now, Pay Later financed through Citizens Pay™. Our efficient operation, like that of most retailers, requires the transmission of information permitting cashless payments. As we offer new payment options to our members, we may be subject to additional rules, regulations and compliance requirements, along with the risk of higher fraud losses. For certain payment methods, we pay interchange and other related card acceptance fees, along with additional transaction processing fees. We rely on third parties to provide secure and reliable payment transaction processing services, including the processing of credit and debit cards, and our co-branded credit card, and it could disrupt our business if these companies become unwilling or unable to provide these services to us. We are also subject to payment card association and network operating rules, including data security rules, certification requirements and rules governing electronic funds transfers, which could change over time. For example, we are subject to Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, which contain stringent compliance guidelines and standards with regard to our security surrounding the physical and electronic storage, processing and transmission of individual cardholder data. We are also subject to a consent decree entered by the FTC in 2005 in connection with a complaint alleging that we had failed to adequately safeguard members’ personal data. Under the consent decree, we are required to maintain a comprehensive information security program that is reasonably designed to protect the security, confidentiality and integrity of personal information collected from or about our members. In addition, if our third-party processor systems are breached or compromised, we may be subject to substantial fines, remediation costs, litigation and higher transaction fees and lose our ability to accept credit or debit card payments from our members, and our reputation, business and operating results could also be materially adversely affected.
Our security measures have been breached in the past and may be undermined in the future due to the actions of outside parties, including nation-state sponsored actors, team member error, internal or external malfeasance, or otherwise, and, as a result, an unauthorized party may obtain access to our data systems and misappropriate, alter, or destroy business and personal information, including payment card information. Such information may also be placed at risk through our use of outside vendors, which may have data security systems that differ from those that we maintain or which are more vulnerable to breach. For example, in March 2018, our travel vendor informed us that the personal data of several hundred of our members had been compromised because of a data breach at Orbitz, which that vendor used as a platform for making online travel bookings. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems change frequently and may not immediately produce signs of intrusion, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques, discover or counter them in a timely fashion, or implement adequate preventative measures. Any such breach or unauthorized access could result in significant legal and financial exposure, damage to our reputation and harm to our relationship with our members, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business.
We rely extensively on information technology to process transactions, compile results and manage our businesses. Failure or disruption of our primary and back-up systems could adversely affect our businesses.
Given the very high volume of transactions we process each year, it is important that we maintain uninterrupted operation of our business-critical computer systems. Our systems, including our back-up systems, are subject to damage or interruption from power outages, computer and telecommunications failures, computer viruses, internal or external security breaches, including tampering with hardware and breaches of our transaction processing or other systems that could result in the compromise of confidential customer or team member data, ransomware or other malware attacks, catastrophic events such as fires, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes and errors by our team members. Phishing attacks have emerged as particularly pervasive, including as a means for ransomware attacks, which have increased in both frequency and breadth. If our systems are damaged or cease to function properly, we may have to make significant investments to fix or replace them, and we may suffer serious interruptions in our operations, which might not be short-lived, in the interim. Any material interruption to these systems could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. In addition, the cost of securing our systems against failure or attack is considerable, and increases in these costs, particularly in the wake of a breach or failure, could be material.
Union attempts to organize our team members could disrupt our business.
In the past, unions have attempted to organize our team members at certain of our clubs and distribution centers. Our management and team members may be required to devote their time to respond to union activities, which could be distracting to our operations. Future union activities, including organizing efforts, slow-downs or work stoppages could negatively impact our business and results of operations. Changes in labor laws or regulations that promote union activity could also adversely impact our business.
Our comparable club sales and quarterly operating results may fluctuate significantly.
Our comparable club sales may be adversely affected for many reasons, including new club openings by our competitors, the opening of our own new clubs that may cannibalize existing club sales, cycling against strong sales in the prior year, by new clubs entering our comparable club base and by price reductions in response to competition.
Our quarterly operating results may be adversely affected by a number of factors including losses in new clubs, price changes in response to competitors’ prices, increases in operating costs, volatility in gasoline, energy and commodity prices, increasing penetration of sales of our private label brands (Wellsley Farms® and Berkley Jensen®), federal budgetary and tax policies, weather conditions, including natural disasters, local economic conditions and the timing of new club openings and related start-up costs.
Changes in our product mix or in our revenues from gasoline sales could negatively impact our revenue and results of operations.
Certain of our key performance indicators, including net sales, operating income and comparable club sales, could be negatively impacted by changes to our product mix or in the price of gasoline. For example, we continue to add private label products to our assortment of product offerings at our clubs, sold under our Wellsley Farms® and Berkley Jensen® private labels. We generally price these private label products lower than the manufacturer branded products of comparable quality that we also offer. Accordingly, a shift in our sales mix in which we sell more units of our private label products and fewer units of our manufacturer branded products would have an adverse impact on our overall net sales. Also, as we continue to add gas stations to our club base and increase our sales of gasoline, our profit margins could be adversely affected. Since gasoline generates lower profit margins than the remainder of our business, we could expect to see our overall gross profit margin rates
decline as sales of gasoline increase. In addition, gasoline prices have been historically volatile and may fluctuate widely due to changes in domestic and international supply and demand. Accordingly, significant changes in gasoline prices may substantially affect our net sales notwithstanding that the profit margin and unit sales for gasoline are largely unchanged, and this effect may increase as gasoline sales make up a larger portion of our revenue.
Research analysts and shareholders may recognize and react to the foregoing changes to our key performance indicators and believe that they indicate a decline in our performance, and this could occur regardless of whether or not the underlying cause has an adverse impact on our profitability. If we suffer an adverse change to our key performance indicators, this could adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.
Product recalls could adversely affect our sales and results of operations.
If our merchandise offerings, including food and general merchandise products, do not meet applicable safety standards or our members’ expectations regarding safety, we could experience lost sales and increased costs and be exposed to legal and reputational risk. The sale of these items involves the risk of health-related illness or injury to our members. Such illnesses or injuries could result from tampering by unauthorized third parties, product contamination or spoilage, including the presence of foreign objects, substances, chemicals, other agents, or residues introduced during the growing, manufacturing, storage, handling and transportation phases, or faulty design. We are dependent on our vendors, including vendors located outside the United States, to ensure that the products we buy comply with all relevant safety standards. While all our vendors must comply with applicable product safety laws, it is possible that a vendor will fail to comply with these laws or otherwise fail to ensure the safety of its products. Further, while our vendors generally must agree to indemnify us in the case of loss, it is possible that a vendor will fail to fulfill that obligation.
If a recall does occur, we have procedures in place to notify our clubs and, if appropriate, the members who have purchased the goods in question. We determine the appropriateness of a recall on a case-by-case basis, based, in part, on the size of the recall, the severity of the potential impact to a member and our ability to contact the purchasers of the products in question. While we are subject to governmental inspections and regulations, and work to comply in all material respects with applicable laws and regulations, it is possible that consumption or use of our products could cause a health-related illness or injury in the future and that we will be subject to claims, lawsuits or government investigations relating to such matters. This could result in costly product recalls and other liabilities that could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Even if a product liability claim is unsuccessful or is not fully pursued, negative publicity could adversely affect our reputation with existing and potential members, as well as our corporate and brand image, including that of our Wellsley Farms® and Berkley Jensen® private labels, and could have long-term adverse effects on our business.
If we do not successfully maintain a relevant omnichannel experience for our members, our results of operations could be adversely impacted.
Omnichannel retailing is rapidly evolving, and we must keep pace with changing member expectations and new developments by our competitors. Our members are increasingly using mobile phones, tablets and other devices to shop and to interact with us through social media. We continue to make technology investments in our website and mobile application. If we are unable to make, improve or develop relevant member-facing technology in a timely manner, our ability to compete and our results of operations could be adversely affected.
We depend on the financial performance of our operations in the New York metropolitan area.
Our financial and operational performance is dependent on our operations in the New York metropolitan area, which accounted for 23% of net sales in fiscal year 2021. The New York metropolitan area is the city and suburbs of New York City, which includes Long Island and the Mid- and Lower Hudson Valley in the state of New York. It also includes north and central New Jersey, three counties in western Connecticut and five counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. We consider 43 of our clubs to be located in the New York metropolitan area. Any substantial slowing or sustained decline in these operations could materially adversely affect our business and financial results. Declines in financial performance of our operations in the New York metropolitan area could arise from, among other things, slower growth or declines in our comparable club sales; negative trends in operating expenses, including increased labor, healthcare and energy costs; failing to meet targets for club openings; cannibalization of existing locations by new clubs; shifts in sales mix toward lower gross margin products; changes or uncertainties in economic conditions in this market, including higher levels of unemployment, depressed home values and natural disasters; regional economic problems; changes in local regulations; terrorist attacks; and failure to consistently provide a high quality and well-assorted mix of products to retain our existing member base and attract new members.
Our growth strategy to open new clubs involves risks.
Our long-term sales and income growth are dependent, to a certain degree, on our ability to open new clubs and gasoline stations in both existing markets and new markets. Opening new clubs is expensive and involves substantial risks that may prevent us from receiving an appropriate return on that investment. We may not be successful in opening new clubs and gasoline stations on the schedule we have planned or at all, and the clubs and gasoline stations we open may not be successful. Our expansion is dependent on finding suitable locations, which may be affected by local regulations, political opposition, construction and development costs, and competition from other retailers for particular sites. If prospective landlords find it difficult to obtain credit, we may need to own more new clubs rather than lease them. Owned locations require more initial capital than leased locations and therefore, the need to own new locations could constrain our growth. If we are able to secure new sites and open new locations, these locations may not be profitable for many reasons. For example, we may not be able to hire, train and retain a suitable work force to staff these locations or to integrate new clubs successfully into our existing infrastructure, either of which could prevent us from operating the clubs in a profitable manner. In addition, entry into new markets may bring us into competition with new or existing competitors with a stronger, more well-established market presence. We may also improperly judge the suitability of a particular site. Any of these factors could cause a site to lose money or otherwise fail to provide an adequate return on investment. If we fail to open new clubs as quickly as we have planned, our growth will suffer. If we open sites that we do not or cannot operate profitably, then our financial condition and results from operations could suffer.
Because we compete to a substantial degree on price, changes affecting the market prices of the goods we sell could adversely affect our net sales and operating profit.
It is an important part of our business plan that we offer value to our members, including offering prices that are substantially below certain of our competitors. Accordingly, we carefully monitor the market prices of the goods we sell in order to maintain our pricing advantage. If our competitors substantially lower their prices, we would be forced to lower our prices, which could adversely impact our margins and results of operations. In addition, the market price of the goods we sell can be influenced by general economic conditions. For example, if we experience a general deflation in the prices of the goods we sell, this would reduce our net sales and potentially adversely affect our operating income.
Any harm to the reputation of our private label brands could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
We sell many products under our private label brands, Wellsley Farms® and Berkley Jensen®. Maintaining consistent product quality, competitive pricing and availability of these products is essential to developing and maintaining member loyalty to these brands. These products generally carry higher margins than manufacturer branded products of comparable quality carried in our clubs and represent a growing portion of our overall sales. If our private label brands experience a loss of member acceptance or confidence, our net sales and operating results could be adversely affected.
We may not be able to protect our intellectual property adequately, which, in turn, could harm the value of our brand and adversely affect our business.
We rely on our proprietary intellectual property, including trademarks, to market, promote and sell our products in our clubs. Our ability to implement our business plan successfully depends in part on our ability to build further brand recognition using our trademarks, service marks, proprietary products and other intellectual property, including our name and logos and the unique character and atmosphere of our clubs. We monitor and protect against activities that might infringe, dilute or otherwise violate our trademarks and other intellectual property, and rely on trademark and other laws of the United States.
We may be unable to prevent third parties from using our intellectual property without our authorization. To the extent we cannot protect our intellectual property, unauthorized use and misuse of our intellectual property could harm our competitive position and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, cash flows or results of operations. Additionally, adequate remedies may not be available in the event of an unauthorized use or disclosure of our trade secrets or other intellectual property.
Additionally, we cannot be certain that we do not, or will not in the future, infringe on the intellectual property rights of third parties. From time to time, we have been subject to claims of third parties that we have infringed upon their intellectual property rights and we face the risk of such claims in the future. Even if we are successful in these proceedings, any intellectual property infringement claims against us could be costly, time-consuming and harmful to our reputation, and could divert the time and attention of our management and other personnel, or result in injunctive or other equitable relief that may require us to make changes to our business, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, cash flows or results of operations. With respect to any third-party intellectual property that we use or wish to use in our business (whether or
not asserted against us in litigation), we may not be able to enter into licensing or other arrangements with the owner of such intellectual property at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms.
Our business is moderately seasonal and weak performance during one of our historically strong seasonal periods could have a material adverse effect on our operating results for the entire fiscal year.
Our business is moderately seasonal, with a meaningful portion of our sales dedicated to seasonal and holiday merchandise, resulting in the realization of higher portions of net sales, operating income and cash flows in the second and fourth fiscal quarters. Due to the importance of our peak sales periods, which include the spring and year-end holiday seasons, the second and fourth fiscal quarters have historically contributed, and are expected to continue to contribute, significantly to our operating results for the entire fiscal year. In anticipation of seasonal increases in sales activity during these periods, we incur significant additional expense prior to and during our peak seasonal periods, which we may finance with additional short-term borrowings. These expenses may include the acquisition of additional inventory, seasonal staffing needs and other similar items. As a result, any factors negatively affecting us during these periods, including adverse weather and unfavorable economic conditions, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations for the entire fiscal year.
Implementation of technology initiatives could disrupt our operations in the near term and fail to provide the anticipated benefits.
As our business grows, we continue to make significant technology investments both in our operations and in our administrative functions. The costs, potential problems and interruptions associated with the implementation of technology initiatives could disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations in the near term. They may also require us to divert resources from our core business to ensure that implementation is successful. In addition, new or upgraded technology might not provide the anticipated benefits, in part because it might take longer than expected to realize the anticipated benefits, it may cost more than anticipated, and the technology might fail.
Inventory shrinkage could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to the risk of inventory loss and theft. Our inventory shrinkage rates have not been material, or fluctuated significantly in recent years, although it is possible that rates of inventory loss and theft in the future will exceed our estimates and that our measures will be ineffective in reducing our inventory shrinkage. Although some level of inventory shrinkage is an unavoidable cost of doing business, if we experience higher rates of inventory shrinkage or incur increased security costs to combat inventory theft, for example as a result of increased use of self-checkout technologies, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We are subject to risks associated with leasing substantial amounts of space.
We lease most of our retail properties, each of our three company-operated distribution centers and our home office. The profitability of our business is dependent on operating our current club base with favorable margins, opening and operating new clubs at a reasonable profit, renewing leases for clubs in desirable locations and, if necessary, identifying and closing underperforming clubs. We enter leases for a significant number of our club locations for varying terms. Typically, a large portion of a club’s operating expense is the cost associated with leasing the location.
We are typically responsible for taxes, utilities, insurance, repairs and maintenance for our leased retail properties. Our net lease cost for fiscal years 2021, 2020 and 2019 totaled $340.3 million, $331.8 million and $326.1 million, respectively. Our future minimum rental commitments for all operating leases in existence as of January 29, 2022 was $337.5 million for fiscal year 2022 and a total of $3.1 billion in aggregate for fiscal years 2023 through 2042. We expect that many of the new clubs we open will also be leased to us under operating leases, which will further increase our operating lease expenditures and require significant capital expenditures. We depend on cash flows from operations to pay our lease expenses and to fulfill our other cash needs. If our business does not generate sufficient cash flow from operating activities, and sufficient funds are not otherwise available to us from borrowings under our senior secured asset based revolving credit and term facility (the "ABL Facility") or other sources, we may not be able to service our lease expenses or fund our other liquidity and capital needs, which would materially affect our business.
The operating leases for our retail properties, distribution centers and corporate office expire at various dates through fiscal year 2042. Several leases have renewal options for various periods of time at our discretion. When leases for our clubs with ongoing operations expire, we may be unable to negotiate renewals, either on commercially acceptable terms, or at all. Further, if we attempt to relocate a club for which the lease has expired, we may be unable to find a new location for that club on commercially acceptable terms or at all, and the relocation of a club might not be successful for other reasons. Any of these factors could cause us to close clubs in desirable locations, which could have an adverse impact on our results of operations.
Over time, current club locations may not continue to be desirable because of changes in demographics within the surrounding area or a decline in shopping traffic, including traffic generated by other nearby clubs. We may not be able to terminate a particular lease if or when we would like to do so. If we decide to close clubs, we are generally required to continue to pay rent and operating expenses for the balance of the lease term, which could be expensive. Even if we are able to assign or sublease vacated locations where our lease cannot be terminated, we may remain liable on the lease obligations if the assignee or sublessee does not perform.
Non-compliance with privacy and information security laws, especially as it relates to maintaining the security of member-related personal information, may damage our business and reputation with members, or result in our incurring substantial additional costs and becoming subject to litigation.
The collection, use and processing of individually identifiable data, including personal health information, by our business is regulated at the federal and state levels. New privacy and information security laws and regulations continue to be passed or proposed and interpretations of existing laws change. As such, compliance with them may result in cost increases due to necessary system changes and the development of new administrative processes and may add additional complexity to our operations, require additional investment of resources in compliance programs, impact our business strategies and the availability of previously useful data and could result in increased compliance costs and/or changes in business practices and policies, as well as increase the risk of potential liability. If we fail to comply with these laws and regulations or experience a data security breach, our reputation could be damaged, possibly resulting in lost future business, and we could be subjected to additional legal or financial risk, including the imposition of fines or other penalties, as a result of non-compliance.
As most retailers and wholesale club operators do, we and certain of our service providers receive certain individually identifiable information, including personal health information, about our members. In addition, our online operations at bjs.com depend upon the secure transmission of confidential information over public networks. A compromise of our security systems or those of some of our business partners that results in our members’ personal information being obtained by unauthorized persons could adversely affect our reputation with our members and others, as well as our operations, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and could result in litigation against us or the imposition of penalties. In addition, a security breach could require that we expend significant additional resources related to the security of information systems and could result in a disruption of our operations.
Federal, state, regional and local laws and regulations relating to the cleanup, investigation, use, storage, discharge and disposal of hazardous materials, hazardous and non-hazardous wastes and other environmental matters could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to a wide variety of federal, state, regional and local laws and regulations relating to the use, storage, discharge and disposal of hazardous materials, hazardous and non-hazardous wastes and other environmental matters. Failure to comply with these laws could result in harm to our members, team members or others; significant costs to satisfy environmental compliance, remediation or compensatory requirements, private party claims; or the imposition of severe penalties or restrictions on operations by governmental agencies or courts, all of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. In addition, the risk of substantial costs and liabilities, including for the investigation and remediation of past or present contamination at our current or former properties (whether or not caused by us), are inherent in our operations, particularly with respect to our gasoline stations. There can be no assurance that substantial costs and liabilities for an investigation and remediation of contamination will not be incurred.
Our e-commerce business faces distinct risks, and our failure to successfully manage it could have a negative impact on our profitability.
As our e-commerce business grows, we increasingly encounter the risks and difficulties that internet-based businesses face. The successful operation of our e-commerce business, and our ability to provide a positive shopping experience that will generate orders and drive subsequent visits depend on efficient and uninterrupted operation of our order-taking and fulfillment operations. Risks associated with our e-commerce business include, but are not limited to: uncertainties associated with our website, including changes in required technology interfaces, website downtime and other technical failures, costs and technical issues as we upgrade our website software, inadequate system capacity, computer viruses, human error, security breaches; disruptions in telecommunications service or power outages; reliance on third parties for computer hardware and software and delivery of merchandise to our customers; rapid changes in technology; credit or debit card fraud and other payment processing related issues; changes in applicable federal and state regulations; liability for online content; cybersecurity and consumer privacy concerns and regulation.
Problems in any of these areas could result in a reduction in sales; increased costs; sanctions or penalties; and damage to our reputation and brands. Personal information from our members may also be placed at risk through our use of outside
vendors, which may have data security systems that differ from those that we maintain or are more vulnerable to breach. For example, in March 2018, our travel vendor informed us that the personal data of several hundred of our members had been compromised because of a data breach at Orbitz, which that vendor used as a platform for making online travel bookings. Further, if we invest substantial amounts in developing our e-commerce capabilities, these factors or others could prevent those investments from being effective.
In addition, we must keep up-to-date with competitive technology trends, including the use of new or improved technology, which may increase our costs and which may not increase sales or attract customers. If we are unable to allow real-time and accurate visibility into product availability when customers are ready to purchase, fulfill our customers’ orders quickly and efficiently use the fulfillment and payment methods they demand, provide a convenient and consistent experience for our customers regardless of the ultimate sales channel or manage our online sales effectively, our ability to compete and our results of operations could be adversely affected.
Furthermore, if our e-commerce business successfully grows, it may do so in part by attracting existing customers, rather than new customers, who choose to purchase products from us online rather than from our physical locations, thereby detracting from the financial performance of our clubs.
We are subject to a number of risks because we import some of our merchandise.
We imported approximately 4% of our merchandise directly from foreign countries such as China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and India during fiscal year 2021. In addition, many of our domestic vendors purchase a portion of their products from foreign sources.
Foreign sourcing subjects us to a number of risks generally associated with doing business abroad, including lead times, labor issues, shipping and freight constraints, product and raw material issues, political and economic conditions, government policies, tariffs and restrictions, epidemics and natural disasters.
If any of these or other factors were to cause supply disruptions or delays, our inventory levels may be reduced or the cost of our products may increase unless and until alternative supply arrangements could be made. We may have limited advance warning of such a disruption, which could impair our ability to purchase merchandise from alternative sources, or alternative sources might not be available. Merchandise purchased from alternative sources may be of lesser quality or more expensive than the merchandise we currently purchase abroad. Any shortages of merchandise (especially seasonal and holiday merchandise), even if temporary, could result in missed opportunities, reducing our sales and profitability. It could also result in our customers seeking and obtaining the products in question from our competitors.
In addition, reductions in the value of the U.S. dollar or increases in the value of foreign currencies could ultimately increase the prices that we pay for our products. We have not hedged our currency risk in the past and do not currently anticipate doing so in the future. All of our products manufactured overseas and imported into the United States are subject to duties collected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Increases in these duties would increase the prices we pay for these products, and we may not be able to fully recapture these costs in our pricing to customers. Further, we may be subjected to additional tariffs or penalties if we or our suppliers are found to be in violation of U.S. laws and regulations applicable to the importation of our products (including, but not limited to, prohibitions against entering merchandise by means of material negligently-made false statements or omissions). To the extent that any foreign manufacturers from whom we purchase products directly or indirectly employ business practices that vary from those commonly accepted in the United States, we could be hurt by any resulting negative publicity or, in some cases, potential claims of liability.
Because of our international sourcing, we could be adversely affected by violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar worldwide anti-bribery and anti-kickback laws.
We sourced approximately 4% of our merchandise abroad during fiscal year 2021. The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other similar laws and regulations generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from making improper payments to non-U.S. officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. While our policies mandate compliance with these anti-bribery laws, we cannot ensure that we will be successful in preventing our team members or other agents from taking actions in violation of these laws or regulations. Such violations, or allegations of such violations, could disrupt our business and result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Factors associated with climate change could adversely affect our business.
We use natural gas, diesel fuel, gasoline and electricity in our distribution and sale operations. Increased government regulations to limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions may result in increased compliance costs and legislation
or regulation affecting energy inputs, which could materially affect our profitability. Climate change could affect our ability to procure needed commodities at costs and in the quantities that we currently experience. We also sell a substantial amount of gasoline, the demand for which could be impacted by concerns about climate change and which could face increased regulation Additionally, climate change may be associated with extreme weather conditions, such as more intense hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornadoes and snow or ice storms, as well as rising sea levels.
Changes in accounting standards and subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by management related to complex accounting matters could significantly affect our financial condition and results of operations.
We apply accounting principles and related pronouncements, implementation guidelines and interpretations to a wide range of matters that are relevant to our business, including, but not limited to self-insurance reserves, are highly complex and involve subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by our management. Changes in these rules or their interpretation or changes in underlying assumptions, estimates or judgments by our management could significantly change our reported or expected financial performance.
Provisions for losses related to self-insured risks are generally based upon independent actuarially determined estimates. The assumptions underlying the ultimate costs of existing claim losses can be highly unpredictable, which can affect the liability recorded for such claims. For example, variability in health care cost inflation rates inherent in these claims can affect the amounts recognized. Similarly, changes in legal trends and interpretations, as well as changes in the nature and method of how claims are settled can impact ultimate costs. Although our estimates of liabilities incurred do not anticipate significant changes from historical trends for these variables, any changes could have a considerable effect upon future claim costs and currently recorded liabilities and could materially impact our consolidated financial statements.
Goodwill and identifiable intangible assets represent a significant portion of our total assets, and any impairment of these assets could adversely affect our results of operations.
Our goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, which consist of goodwill and our trade name, represented a significant portion of our total assets as of January 29, 2022. Accounting rules require the evaluation of our goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment at least annually, or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of such assets may not be recoverable. Such indicators are based on market conditions and the operational performance of our business.
To test goodwill for impairment, we may initially use a qualitative approach to determine whether conditions exist to indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If our management concludes, based on its assessment of relevant events, facts and circumstances, that it is more likely than not that a reporting unit’s carrying value is greater than its fair value, then a quantitative analysis will be performed to determine if there is any impairment. We may initially also elect to perform a quantitative analysis. We estimate the reporting unit’s fair value by estimating the future cash flows of the reporting units to which the goodwill relates, and then we discount the future cash flows at a market-participant-derived weighted-average cost of capital. The estimates of fair value of the reporting unit is based on the best information available as of the date of the assessment. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, then goodwill is impaired and is written down to the implied fair value amount.
To test our other indefinite-lived asset, our trade name, for impairment, we determine the fair value of our trade name using the relief-from-royalty method, which estimates the present value of royalty income that could be hypothetically earned by licensing the brand name to a third party over its remaining useful life. If, in conducting an impairment evaluation, we determine that the carrying value of an asset exceeded its fair value, we would be required to record a non-cash impairment charge for the difference between the carrying value and the fair value of the asset.
If a significant amount of our goodwill and identifiable intangible assets was deemed to be impaired, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
We are a holding company with no operations of our own, and we depend on our subsidiaries for cash.
We are a holding company and do not have any material assets or operations other than ownership of the equity interests of our subsidiaries. Our operations are conducted almost entirely through our subsidiaries, and our ability to generate cash to meet our obligations or to pay dividends, if any, is highly dependent on the earnings of, and receipt of funds from, our subsidiaries through dividends or intercompany loans. The ability of our subsidiaries to generate sufficient cash flow from operations to allow us and them to make scheduled payments on our debt obligations will depend on their future financial performance, which will be affected by a range of economic, competitive and business factors, many of which are outside of our control. We cannot assure our shareholders that the cash flow and earnings of our operating subsidiaries will be adequate
for our subsidiaries to service their debt obligations. If our subsidiaries do not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to satisfy corporate obligations, we may have to undertake alternative financing plans (such as refinancing), restructure debt, sell assets, reduce or delay capital investments, or seek to raise additional capital. We cannot assure our shareholders that any such alternative refinancing would be possible, that any assets could be sold, or, if sold, of the timing of the sales and the amount of proceeds realized from those sales, that additional financing could be obtained on acceptable terms, if at all, or that additional financing would be permitted under the terms of our various debt instruments then in effect. Our inability to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our obligations, or to refinance our obligations on commercially reasonable terms, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Furthermore, we and our subsidiaries may incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future that may severely restrict or prohibit our subsidiaries from making distributions, paying dividends, if any, or making loans to us.
Risks Relating to Our Indebtedness
We face risks related to our indebtedness.
As of January 29, 2022, our total outstanding long-term debt was $748.6 million. Our leverage could expose us to interest rate risk associated with our variable rate debt and prevent us from meeting our obligations under our ABL Facility and senior secured first lien term loan facility ("First Lien Term Loan"). Our indebtedness could have important consequences to us, including: limiting our ability to deduct interest in the taxable period in which it is incurred in light of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and exposing us to the risk of increased interest rates as substantially all of our borrowings are at variable rates.
The occurrence of any one of these events could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and ability to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness.
We and our subsidiaries may be able to incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future, subject to the restrictions contained in the credit agreements governing our ABL Facility and First Lien Term Loan.
The ABL Facility and First Lien Term Loan impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us and our subsidiaries that may prevent us from pursuing certain business opportunities and restrict our ability to operate our business.
The credit agreements governing our ABL Facility and First Lien Term Loan contain covenants that restrict our, and our subsidiaries’ ability to take various actions, such as: incur or guarantee additional indebtedness or issue certain disqualified or preferred stock; pay dividends or make other distributions on, or redeem or purchase, any equity interests or make other restricted payments; make certain acquisitions or investments; create or incur liens; transfer or sell assets; incur restrictions on the payments of dividends or other distributions from our restricted subsidiaries; alter the business that we conduct; enter into transactions with affiliates; and consummate a merger or consolidation or sell, assign, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets.
The restrictions in the credit agreements governing our ABL Facility and First Lien Term Loan also limit our ability to plan for or react to market conditions, meet capital needs or otherwise restrict our activities or business plans and adversely affect our ability to finance our operations, enter into acquisitions or to engage in other business activities that could be in our interest.
In addition, our ability to borrow under the ABL Facility is limited by the amount of our borrowing base. Any negative impact on the elements of our borrowing base, such as accounts receivable and inventory could reduce our borrowing capacity under the ABL Facility.
We may be unable to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our debt service obligations, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our ability to make principal and interest payments on and to refinance our indebtedness will depend on our ability to generate cash in the future and is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory, tax and other factors that are beyond our control. If our business does not generate sufficient cash flow from operations, in the amounts projected or at all, or if future borrowings are not available to us in amounts sufficient to fund our other liquidity needs, our business financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. If we cannot generate sufficient cash flow from operations to make scheduled principal and interest payments in the future, we may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness on or before maturity, sell assets, delay capital expenditures or seek additional equity. The terms of our existing or future debt agreements, including the First Lien Term Loan and the ABL Facility, may also restrict us from affecting any of these alternatives. Further, changes in the credit and capital markets, including market disruptions and interest
rate fluctuations, may increase the cost of financing, make it more difficult to obtain favorable terms, or restrict our access to these sources of future liquidity. Our ABL Facility is scheduled to mature on August 17, 2023 and our First Lien Facility is scheduled to mature on February 3, 2024. See "Liquidity and Capital Resources." If we are unable to refinance any of our indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all or to effect any other action relating to our indebtedness on satisfactory terms or at all, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The discontinuation of LIBOR and the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative reference rate may adversely affect our borrowing costs and could impact our business and results of operations.
The LIBOR benchmark has been the subject of national, international and other regulatory guidance and proposals for reform and replacement, with most LIBOR settings not expected to be published after June 30, 2023. In the U.S., the Alternative Reference Rates Committee ("AARC"), which was convened by the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, has recommended the Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR") plus a recommended spread adjustment as its preferred alternative to USD-LIBOR. There are significant differences between LIBOR and SOFR, including that LIBOR is an unsecured lending rate while SOFR is a secured rate, and that SOFR is an overnight rate whereas LIBOR reflects term rates at different maturities.
We have contracts that are indexed to LIBOR, including the credit agreements governing our ABL facility and First Lien Term Loan and our interest rate swap agreements. We expect that all LIBOR settings relevant to us will cease to be published or will no longer be representative after June 30, 2023. As a result, any of our LIBOR based borrowings that extend beyond such date will need to be converted into a replacement rate. Certain risks may arise in connection with transitioning contracts to SOFR or any other alternative variable rate, including any resulting value transfer that may occur. The value of loans, securities or derivative instruments tied to LIBOR could also be impacted. For some instruments, the method of transitioning to an alternative rate may be challenging, as they may require substantial negotiation with each respective counterparty. If a contract is not transitioned to an alternative variable rate and LIBOR is discontinued, the impact is likely to vary by contract. The discontinuation of LIBOR will not affect our ability to borrow or maintain already outstanding borrowings or swaps, but if our contracts indexed to LIBOR, including contracts governing our variable rate debt and our interest rate swaps, are converted to SOFR, the differences between LIBOR and SOFR, plus the recommended spread adjustment, could result in interest costs that are higher than if LIBOR remained available. Additionally, although SOFR is the AARC’s recommended replacement rate, it is also possible that lenders may instead choose alternative replacements that may differ from LIBOR in ways similar to SOFR or in ways that would result in higher interest costs for us. It is not yet possible to predict the magnitude of LIBOR’s end on our borrowing costs given the remaining uncertainty about which rates will replace LIBOR.
Risks Relating to Ownership of our Common Stock
The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly.
The market price of our common stock depends on various factors that may be unrelated to our operating performance or prospects. We cannot assure you that the market price of our common stock will not fluctuate or decline significantly in the future. A number of factors could negatively affect, or result in fluctuations in, the price or trading volume of our common stock, including: quarterly variations in our operating results compared to market expectations; changes in the preferences of our customers; low comparable club sales growth compared to market expectations; delays in the planned openings of new clubs; the failure of securities analysts to cover the Company or changes in financial estimates by the analysts who cover us, our competitors or the grocery or retail industries in general and the wholesale club segment in particular; economic, legal and regulatory factors unrelated to our performance; changes in consumer spending or the housing market; or increased competition or stock price performance of our competitors.
As a result of these factors, you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the price at which you purchased them. In addition, our stock price may be volatile. The stock market in general has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of companies like us. Accordingly, these broad market fluctuations, as well as general economic, political and market conditions, such as recessions or interest rate changes, may significantly reduce the market price of the common stock, regardless of our operating performance. In the past, following periods of market volatility, shareholders have instituted securities class action litigation. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could result in substantial costs and divert resources and our management’s attention from other business concerns, regardless of the outcome of such litigation.
Our ability to raise capital in the future may be limited.
Our business and operations may consume resources faster than we anticipate. In the future, we may need to raise additional funds through the issuance of new equity securities, debt or a combination of both. Additional financing may not be available on favorable terms, or at all. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable terms, we may be unable to fund our
capital requirements. If we issue new debt securities, the debt holders would have rights senior to common shareholders to make claims on our assets, and the terms of any debt could restrict our operations, including our ability to pay dividends on our common stock. If we issue additional equity securities, existing shareholders will experience dilution, and the new equity securities could have rights senior to those of our common stock. Because our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. Thus, our shareholders bear the risk of our future securities offerings reducing the market price of our common stock and diluting their interest.
We cannot guarantee that we will repurchase our common stock pursuant to our share repurchase program or that our share repurchase program will enhance long-term shareholder value. Share repurchases could also increase the volatility of the price of our common stock and could diminish our cash reserves.
The timing and amount of repurchases of shares of our common stock, if any, will depend upon several factors, including market and business conditions, the trading price of our common stock, our cost of capital and the nature of other investment opportunities. Our share repurchase program may be limited, suspended or discontinued at any time without prior notice. In addition, repurchases of our common stock pursuant to our share repurchase program could affect our stock price and increase its volatility. The existence of our share repurchase program could cause our stock price to be higher than it would be in the absence of such a program and could potentially reduce the market liquidity for our stock. Additionally, our share repurchase program could diminish our cash reserves, which may impact our ability to finance future growth and to pursue possible future strategic opportunities and acquisitions. There can be no assurance that any share repurchases will enhance shareholder value because the market price of our common stock may decline below the levels at which we repurchased shares of stock. Although our share repurchase program is intended to enhance long-term shareholder value, there is no assurance that it will do so and short-term stock price fluctuations could reduce the effectiveness of the program. Our share repurchase program may be suspended or terminated at any time without notice.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, or if they issue unfavorable commentary about us or our industry or downgrade our common stock, the price of our common stock could decline.
The trading market for our common stock depends in part on the research and reports that third-party securities analysts publish about us and our industry. One or more analysts could downgrade our common stock or issue other negative commentary about us or our industry. In addition, we may be unable or slow to attract research coverage. Alternatively, if one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us, we could lose visibility in the market. As a result of one or more of these factors, the trading price of our common stock could decline.
Some provisions of our charter documents and Delaware law may have anti-takeover effects that could discourage an acquisition of us by others, even if an acquisition would be beneficial to our shareholders, and may prevent attempts by our shareholders to replace or remove our current management.
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws, as well as provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the "DGCL"), could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us or increase the cost of acquiring us, even if doing so would benefit our shareholders, including transactions in which shareholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. These provisions include: establishing a classified board of directors such that not all members of the board are elected at one time; allowing the total number of directors to be determined exclusively (subject to the rights of holders of any series of preferred stock to elect additional directors) by resolution of our board of directors and granting to our board of directors the sole power to fill any vacancy on the board; limiting the ability of shareholders to remove directors without cause; authorizing the issuance of "blank check" preferred stock by our board of directors, without further shareholder approval, to thwart a takeover attempt; prohibiting shareholder action by written consent (and, thus, requiring that all shareholder actions be taken at a meeting of our shareholders); eliminating the ability of shareholders to call a special meeting of shareholders; establishing advance notice requirements for nominations for election to the board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon at annual shareholder meetings; requiring the approval of the holders of at least two-thirds of the voting power of all outstanding stock entitled to vote thereon, voting together as a single class, to amend or repeal our certificate of incorporation or bylaws; and electing not to be governed by Section 203 of the DGCL.
These anti-takeover defenses could discourage, delay or prevent a transaction involving a change in control of our Company. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for other shareholders to elect directors of their choosing and cause us to take corporate actions other than those our shareholders desire.
We are exposed to risks relating to evaluations of controls required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
We are required to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which requires management assessments of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. If we are unable to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting or disclosure controls and procedures, our ability to record, process and report financial information accurately and to prepare financial statements within required time periods could be adversely affected, which could subject us to litigation or investigations requiring management resources and payment of legal and other expenses, negatively affect investor confidence in our financial statements, restrict access to capital markets and adversely impact our stock price.
We do not currently expect to pay any cash dividends.
We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the operation and expansion of our business and do not expect to pay any cash dividends on shares of our common stock in the foreseeable future. We are a holding company, and substantially all of our operations are carried out by our operating subsidiaries. Any inability on the part of our subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Under our ABL Facility and First Lien Term Loan, our operating subsidiaries are significantly restricted in their ability to pay dividends or otherwise transfer assets to us, and we expect these limitations to continue in the future. Our ability to pay dividends may also be limited by the terms of any future credit agreement or any future debt or preferred equity securities of ours or of our subsidiaries. Accordingly, realization of a gain on your investment will depend on the appreciation of the price of our common stock, which may never occur. Shareholders seeking cash dividends in the foreseeable future should not purchase our common stock.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the exclusive forum for certain litigation that may be initiated by our shareholders, which could limit our shareholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed to us or our shareholders by any of our directors, officers, employees or agents, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising under any provisions of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This forum selection provision will not apply to any causes of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act. As a shareholder in our Company, you are deemed to have notice of and have consented to the provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation related to choice of forum. The choice of forum provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation may limit your ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.
General Risk Factors
Our success depends on our ability to attract and retain a qualified management team and other team members while controlling our labor costs.
We are dependent upon several key management and other team members. If we were to lose the services of one or more of our key team members, this could have a material adverse effect on our operations. Our continued success also depends upon our ability to attract and retain highly qualified team members to meet our future growth needs while controlling related labor costs. Our ability to control labor costs is subject to numerous external factors, including healthcare costs and prevailing wage rates, which may be affected by, among other factors, competitive wage pressure, minimum wage laws and general economic conditions. If we experience competitive labor markets, either regionally or in general, we may have to increase our wages in order to attract and retain highly qualified team members, which could increase our selling, general and administrative expenses ("SG&A") and adversely affect our operating income. We compete with other retail and non-retail businesses for these employees and invest significant resources in training them. There is no assurance that we will be able to attract or retain highly qualified team members to operate our business.
Insurance claims could adversely impact our results of operations.
We use a combination of insurance and self-insurance plans to provide for potential liability for workers’ compensation, general liability, property, fiduciary liability and employee and retiree health care. Liabilities associated with the risk retained by the Company are estimated based on historical claims experience and other actuarial assumptions believed to be reasonable
under the circumstances. Our results of operations could be adversely impacted if actual future occurrences and claims differ from our assumptions and historical trends.
Certain legal proceedings could adversely impact our results of operations.
We are involved in a number of legal proceedings involving employment issues, personal injury, product liability, consumer matters, intellectual property claims and other litigation. Certain of these lawsuits, if decided adversely to us or settled by us, may result in material liability. See the notes to our audited financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information. Further, we are unable to predict whether unknown claims may be brought against us that could become material.
We could be subject to additional income tax liabilities.
We compute our income tax provision based on enacted federal and state tax rates. As tax rates vary among jurisdictions, a change in earnings attributable to the various jurisdictions in which we operate could result in an unfavorable change in our overall tax provision. Additionally, changes in the enacted tax rates, adverse outcomes in tax audits, including potential future transfer pricing disputes, or any change in the pronouncements relating to accounting for income taxes could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.