Item 1. Business
Item 1. Business
General
BJ’s Wholesale Club is a leading operator of membership warehouse clubs concentrated primarily in the eastern half of the United States. We deliver significant value to our members, consistently offering up to 25% savings on a representative basket of manufacturer-branded groceries compared to traditional supermarket competitors. We provide a curated assortment focused on groceries, fresh foods, general merchandise, gasoline, and other ancillary services to deliver a differentiated shopping experience that is further enhanced by our digital capabilities. Additionally, we provide access to coupons and promotions to deliver further value to our members.
Since pioneering the warehouse club model in New England in 1984, we have grown our footprint to 250 large-format, high volume warehouse clubs and 186 gas stations spanning 21 states as of fiscal year end 2024. In our core New England market, which has high population density and generates a disproportionate part of U.S. gross domestic product ("GDP"), we operate more than 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 delivery or traditional ship-to-home service, as well as through the DoorDash and Instacart marketplaces. We also offer Same-Day Select, which offers BJ’s members the ability to pay a one-time fee for either unlimited or twelve same-day deliveries over a one-year period.
Our goal is to offer our members significant value and a meaningful return in savings on their annual membership fee. We have over 7.5 million members paying annual fees to gain access to savings on groceries, general merchandise, services, and gasoline. Through December 31, 2024, the annual membership fee for our Club Card membership was generally $55, and the annual membership fee for our Club+ membership, which offers additional value-enhancing features, was generally $110. Effective January 1, 2025, the Club Card membership fee increased to $60 per year and the Club+ membership fee increased to $120 per year. We believe that these membership fee increases will allow us to invest in an even stronger value proposition for our growing member base. We believe that members can save over ten times their $60 Club Card 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 approximately 26% of our total net sales, excluding gasoline. Our customers recognize the relevance of our value proposition across economic environments, as demonstrated by over 25 consecutive years of membership fee income growth. Our membership fee income was $456.5 million for fiscal year 2024.
On May 2, 2022, we completed our acquisition of the assets and operations of four distribution centers and the related private transportation fleet from Burris Logistics (the "Acquisition"), to bring substantially all of the end-to-end perishable supply chain in-house. See " Note 20 . Acquisitions" of our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding the Acquisition.
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
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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 February 1, 2025, we operated 250 clubs ranging in size from 44,000 square feet to 177,000 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 ten acres to 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 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, substantially reducing 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 state as of February 1, 2025 is set forth in the table below:
Market Club Count
New York 49
Florida 39
Massachusetts 25
New Jersey 23
Pennsylvania 20
Virginia 14
Connecticut 13
Maryland 12
North Carolina 9
Ohio 8
New Hampshire 7
Georgia 6
Michigan 5
Delaware 4
Rhode Island 4
Tennessee 4
Maine 3
Indiana 2
Alabama 1
Kentucky 1
South Carolina 1
Segments
Our retail operations, which include retail club and other sales procured from our clubs and distribution centers, represent substantially all of our consolidated total revenues, and are our only reportable segment. Substantially 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 .
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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.
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: perishables, grocery and sundries, and general merchandise and services.
• Perishables, grocery, and sundries: 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 87% of our merchandise sales for fiscal year 2024.
• General merchandise and services: consists of electronics, apparel, seasonal goods, small appliances, televisions, furniture, optical, tires, third-party gift cards, and other revenues, which constituted approximately 13% of our merchandise sales for fiscal year 2024.
BJ’s consumer-focused private label products, sold under Wellsley Farms ® and Berkley Jensen ® brands, comprised approximately 26% of our total net sales, excluding gasoline, in fiscal year 2024. 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 higher 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 February 1, 2025, we had 186 gasoline stations in operation at or near our clubs. The gas stations are generally self-service. 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.
Digital Offerings
We have built a robust digital portfolio which includes BJs.com and 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 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, as well as the usage of ExpressPay®, which allows members to skip checkout lines when they shop in club by paying with their phones. BJ’s Media Edge™, which launched in fiscal year 2022, is our retail media program that offers brands a comprehensive advertising solution to connect with BJ’s members.
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 7.5 million paid memberships as of February 1, 2025. 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.
During fiscal year 2023, we rebranded our memberships and co-branded credit card. Historically, we've offered two core types of memberships: the Club Card (formerly Inner Circle®) memberships and business memberships. Through December 31, 2024, we generally charged $55 per year for a primary Club Card membership that included one additional card for a
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household member, which increased to $60 per year, effective January 1, 2025. Primary members could purchase up to three supplemental memberships for $35 each. A primary business membership typically costs $60 per year, representing an increase from $55 as of January 1, 2025, and includes one free supplemental membership. Business members could purchase up to eight additional supplemental business memberships at $35 each. U.S. military personnel—active and veteran—who enrolled at a BJ’s club location could do so for a reduced membership fee.
Our higher tier membership was rebranded from BJ’s Perks Rewards® to Club+, which offers members the opportunity to earn 2% cash back on most in-club and bjs.com purchases, a 5-cent per gallon discount on gasoline, and effective January 1, 2025, two free same-day deliveries. Through December 31, 2024, the annual fee for a Club+ membership was generally $110 per year, which increased to $120 per year, effective January 1, 2025. We also offer our BJ's One™ and BJ's One+™ Mastercard® credit cards (formerly the My BJ’s Perks® program). These cards provide members with the opportunity to earn up to 5% cash back on purchases made at our clubs or online at bjs.com, up to a 15-cent per gallon discount on gasoline when paying with a BJ's One™ or BJ's One+™ Mastercard® at our BJ’s Gas locations, and effective January 1, 2025, two free same-day deliveries if such benefit has not already been received under the Club+ program. In fiscal year 2024, Club+ members and co-branded Mastercard® members accounted for 39% of members and 50% of merchandise spend (excluding gas and membership fee income), compared to 38% of members and 49% of merchandise spend (excluding gas and membership fee income) in fiscal year 2023.
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 lower 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.
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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, which greatly expanded the FDA’s regulatory obligations over all actors in the supply chain. 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.
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.
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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 February 1, 2025, we had over 33,000 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.
Culture. We are driven by a powerful purpose: we take care of the families who depend on us. For our team members, this means creating career opportunities at every level of our company. Our team members include those starting out their careers, those re-entering the work force and part-time workers as well as managers and executives. Many of our leaders started out as part-time team members in our clubs and distribution centers. Our approach to creating opportunities has enabled us to build a world-class team that is committed to serving our members and making a positive difference in our communities.
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.
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, non-qualified deferred compensation 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 access to 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 the Company. 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.
Community Involvement . We have a long and proud history of investing in the communities where we live and work. BJ’s Charitable Foundation (the "Foundation") was established with the mission to enrich the communities we serve. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that primarily benefit the underprivileged in the areas of hunger prevention, education, and health and wellness. 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. Since its inception in 2004, the BJ's Charitable Foundation has awarded over $37.0 million to non-profit organizations and schools, providing vital support in BJ's communities.
Corporate Information
BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. was incorporated 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." Our principal operating subsidiary is BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.
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
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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 14, 2025:
Name Age Office and Business Experience
Robert W. Eddy 52 Robert W. Eddy is chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of the company. 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 joined the board of directors and became president and chief executive officer. Mr. Eddy was named chairman of the board in June 2023. 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 chairman of the board of directors and executive committee of the National Retail Federation and as a member of the board of trustees of the Boston Children’s Hospital Trust. In September 2023, he became a director of DICK’s Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS). 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 43 Laura L. Felice has served as BJ’s executive vice president, chief financial officer since April 2021. From November 2016 to April 2021, Ms. Felice served as senior vice president, controller and was responsible for the integrity of our financial records. Before joining BJ’s, Ms. Felice worked at Clarks Americas, Inc., a British shoe manufacturer and retailer from 2008 to 2016 in various roles of increasing responsibility including serving as the senior vice president of finance from November 2015 to November 2016. In that role, 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. Ms. Felice also currently serves as a board member of Broadstone Net Lease, LLC (NYSE: BNL). She also sits on the Board of Advisors for the Boston Ballet and is a board member of the National Retail Federation Foundation. She holds a master’s degree of accounting and a bachelor’s degree with a double major in finance and accounting from Boston College.
Paul Cichocki 55 Paul Cichocki has served as BJ’s 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 worked at Bain & Company, a management consulting firm, from 1997 to April 2020 where he spent over 20 years supporting clients across a broad range of industries, including retail, consumer products, financial services and food and beverage. 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.
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Anjana Harve 52 Anjana Harve is executive vice president, chief information officer of the company. Ms. Harve was named to this position in September 2023 and is responsible for the strategic leadership and direction of the company’s information technology organization. Prior to joining BJ’s, from January 2021 to April 2023, she served as global chief information officer at Fresenius Medical Care, the world’s leading provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases, where she led information technology, privacy assurance, cyber, digital and data security across key business units. She also held the position of North America chief information officer at Fresenius from March 2020 to January 2021. From October 2018 to March 2020, she served as chief information officer at Hill-Rom, a medical technology provider. Prior to these positions, Ms. Harve also held various technology and other senior management positions during her career, including at Novartis, a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical corporation, and Shire, also a multinational pharmaceutical corporation. She also serves on the Supervisory Board of Wolters Kluwer, a global leader in professional information, software solutions and services.
Ms. Harve holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science engineering from Bangalore University in India and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.
Graham N. Luce 55 Graham N. Luce has served BJ’s executive vice president, general counsel and secretary since March 2023. He 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 joined the company in April 2015 as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary and served in that role until March 2023. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Luce worked at Bain & Company, a management consulting firm, from 2000 to 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.
Scott Schmadeke 48 Scott Schmadeke is executive vice president, chief operations officer of the company. He oversees club operations, supply chain and asset protection and safety for the company. Mr. Schmadeke joined BJ’s in 2018 as senior vice president of operations. Since then, he expanded his responsibilities to include leading field and fresh operations. He played a pivotal role in the company’s acquisition and transition of its perishable distribution centers as well as the rollout of enhanced fresh offerings and new club openings. Before joining BJ’s, Mr. Schmadeke held several key operations leadership positions in the retail and grocery industry, including roles at Albertson’s Companies and Safeway, Inc. He holds a bachelor of science in business administration and management from the University of Phoenix.
Monica Schwartz 50 Monica Schwartz has served as BJ’s 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 digital 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.
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William C. Werner 47 William C. Werner has served as BJ’s Executive Vice President, Strategy and Development since April 2021 and is responsible for building the company’s market expansion and key strategic initiatives. Mr. Werner served in several other roles throughout his tenure at BJ’s, including as 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 the company’s vice president, accounting and financial reporting from 2012 to 2013. Prior to joining BJ’s, 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.
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