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BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 21 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 1 lowered, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Quarterly net income and EPS declined: Net income was $152.1 million against $155.7 million a year earlier. Diluted EPS was $1.15 against $1.17, and adjusted EPS was $1.16 against $1.18. Source
  • Membership fee income rose 9.8%: Membership fee income was $126.3 million against $115.0 million. The company attributed the increase to membership growth and the annual fee increase effective January 2025. Source
  • SG&A rose on labor, occupancy and advertising: Quarterly SG&A was $788.2 million against $733.6 million. The company linked the increase to labor and occupancy costs from new clubs and gas stations, and to higher advertising. Source
  • Comparable sales excluding gasoline up 1.8%: Excluding gasoline, comparable club sales rose 1.8% in the quarter and 2.6% in the first nine months. The two-year stack for the quarter was 5.5%. Source
  • Quarterly adjusted free cash flow negative: Quarterly adjusted free cash flow was negative $13.7 million against $18.8 million, with operating cash flow of $181.1 million and capital additions of $194.9 million. Source
  • Comparable sales guidance narrowed: Full-year comparable club sales excluding gasoline are now 2.0% to 3.0%, down from 2.0% to 3.5% at the second quarter. Source
  • Adjusted EPS guidance raised: Full-year adjusted EPS is now $4.30 to $4.40, up from $4.20 to $4.35. Capital expenditure guidance of approximately $800 million is unchanged. Source

“Our business continues to perform well in a volatile environment and we are maintaining an unwavering focus on what matters most: taking care of families who depend on us,”

Bob Eddy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BJ’s Wholesale Club

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Comparable club sales excluding gasoline Sourcefiscal 2025 (ending January 31, 2026)2.0% to 3.0% year-over-yearLowered from 2.0% to 3.5%
Adjusted EPS Sourcefiscal 2025 (ending January 31, 2026)$4.30 to $4.40Raised from $4.20 to $4.35
Capital expenditures Sourcefiscal 2025 (ending January 31, 2026)approximately $800 millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Adjusted EPS guidance for fiscal 2025 raised to $4.30 to $4.40 from $4.20 to $4.35 in the second quarter release. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Full-year comparable club sales excluding gasoline narrowed to 2.0% to 3.0% from 2.0% to 3.5%, with the upper end lowered. Source
  • Guidance kept: Capital expenditure guidance of approximately $800 million was repeated from the second quarter release. Source
  • New: The restructuring footnote now covers club functions as well as corporate functions; the second quarter release referred only to corporate functions. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Quarterly net income and EPS declined: Net income was $152.1 million against $155.7 million a year earlier. Diluted EPS was $1.15 against $1.17, and adjusted EPS was $1.16 against $1.18. Source
  • Nine-month earnings rose on higher sales: Nine-month net income was $452.5 million against $411.8 million. Nine-month diluted EPS was $3.42 against $3.08, and adjusted EPS was $3.44 against $3.12. Source
  • Quarterly adjusted EBITDA declined 2.2%: Adjusted EBITDA was $301.4 million against $308.3 million in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Prior-year legal settlement affected SG&A: The company said a net benefit of about $20 million from legal settlements in the prior-year quarter contributed to the year-over-year SG&A increase. Source

Membership and digital sales

  • Membership fee income rose 9.8%: Membership fee income was $126.3 million against $115.0 million. The company attributed the increase to membership growth and the annual fee increase effective January 2025. Source
  • Membership drivers named: Management cited acquisition, retention and higher-tier penetration across new and existing clubs as the main drivers of membership fee growth. Source
  • Digitally enabled comparable sales up 30%: Digitally enabled comparable sales grew 30% in the quarter, with two-year stacked growth of 61%. Source

“We are narrowing our outlook for full year merchandise comparable club sales while increasing our outlook for adjusted earnings per share,”

Laura Felice, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, BJ’s Wholesale Club

Margins and costs

  • Quarterly merchandise margin unchanged: The merchandise gross margin rate, excluding gasoline and membership fees, was flat against the same quarter of fiscal 2024. Quarterly gross profit was $1.01 billion. Source
  • Nine-month merchandise margin higher: The merchandise gross margin rate was up 10 basis points for the first nine months. Nine-month gross profit was $2.99 billion. Source
  • SG&A rose on labor, occupancy and advertising: Quarterly SG&A was $788.2 million against $733.6 million. The company linked the increase to labor and occupancy costs from new clubs and gas stations, and to higher advertising. Source
  • Quarterly tax expense declined: Income tax expense was $56.0 million against $61.0 million in the prior-year quarter. Source

Comparable sales and demand

  • Total comparable club sales rose 1.1%: Total comparable club sales rose 1.1% in the quarter and 0.8% in the first nine months. Source
  • Comparable sales excluding gasoline up 1.8%: Excluding gasoline, comparable club sales rose 1.8% in the quarter and 2.6% in the first nine months. The two-year stack for the quarter was 5.5%. Source
  • Membership cited for sales and share gains: The headline says membership strength powered gains in sales, traffic and market share. The release gives no traffic or market share figures. Source

“We are confident that we can be the destination for value and convenience, and we are entering the holiday season with momentum.”

Bob Eddy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BJ’s Wholesale Club

Cash flow and balance sheet

  • Quarterly adjusted free cash flow negative: Quarterly adjusted free cash flow was negative $13.7 million against $18.8 million, with operating cash flow of $181.1 million and capital additions of $194.9 million. Source
  • Nine-month operating cash flow higher: Net cash from operations was $639.1 million for the first nine months against $629.0 million. Capital additions were $498.0 million against $427.6 million. Source
  • Net debt at quarter end: Total debt was $599.0 million and net debt was $553.9 million at November 1, 2025, equal to 0.5 times LTM adjusted EBITDA. Source

Share repurchases and share count

  • Quarterly buybacks of $87.3 million: The company repurchased 905,000 shares in the quarter for $87.3 million, including associated costs. Source
  • Nine-month buybacks and remaining authority: Nine-month repurchases were 1,335,000 shares for $134.7 million, with $866.2 million remaining under the program. Source
  • Diluted share count lower: Diluted weighted-average shares were 131.9 million in the quarter against 133.3 million, and 132.4 million for nine months against 133.8 million. Source

Club network and fiscal 2025 guidance

  • Club and gas station count higher: The company operates 257 clubs and 194 gas locations in 21 states, up from 255 clubs and 190 gas locations in the second quarter release. Source
  • Comparable sales guidance narrowed: Full-year comparable club sales excluding gasoline are now 2.0% to 3.0%, down from 2.0% to 3.5% at the second quarter. Source
  • Adjusted EPS guidance raised: Full-year adjusted EPS is now $4.30 to $4.40, up from $4.20 to $4.35. Capital expenditure guidance of approximately $800 million is unchanged. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable club sales Source1.1% total; 1.8% excluding gasoline (quarter)
Inventory Source$1,693,805 thousand at November 1, 2025 (November 2, 2024: $1,720,011 thousand)
Store count (clubs) Source257 clubs; 255 at August 2, 2025
E-commerce share (digitally enabled comparable sales growth) Source30%, two-year stack 61%
Gross margin (merchandise) SourceFlat in the quarter; up 10 basis points for nine months

Risks management discussed

  • External: Management described the year as delivering results in a volatile backdrop, without quantifying an effect on results. Source
  • Operational: Depreciation rose as the number of owned clubs increased. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management said the company is on track to add seven new clubs in the fourth quarter. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.