Marlborough-based BJ’s Wholesale Club plans to open five new club locations, following a quarter which saw its revenue increase but its earnings decline compared to last year.
The big-box wholesaler is set to open new clubs in Kentucky, Florida, and Indiana this fiscal year, part of an ongoing strategy to open 25 to 30 locations every two years, the company announced Friday.
New clubs in Florida will be in Lecanto, Ocala, and Port St. Lucie, bringing the company’s Sunshine State presence to 46 clubs.
The Kentucky location will be in Frankfort, and the Indiana store will be in Portage. BJ’s Wholesale first entered Kentucky in 2025 and Indiana in 2022.
BJ’s Wholesale is expecting a total of $800 million in capital expenditures this fiscal year, driven by investment in new club openings and improvements to its distribution infrastructure.
Counting recent openings in Texas, the company plans on opening 12 stores this fiscal year.
“We want to make sure we are playing offense and building the franchise for the long term, rather than responding to any competitive influence or any short-term economic disruption,” said Bob Eddy, chairman and CEO, during the company’s Friday earnings call, according to an Investment.com transcript.
BJ’s Wholesale’s latest expansion efforts were announced the same day the company released its first-quarter earnings report.
The company’s quarterly net income was $142.73 million, down 4.7% compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2025.
The firm reported $5.66 billion in revenue in the first quarter, growing 9.9%. Revenue from membership sales was up 9.9%, to $132.36 million.
Gasoline sales drove comparable club sales in the quarter. Total comparable sales grew 6.3%, but that growth was reduced to 1.5% when excluding gas transactions.
The company’s shares on the New York Stock Exchange fell following the earnings release, trading at $86.64 on Friday afternoon, down about 7.8% from opening.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the real estate and banking & finance industries.
