BJ’s eyes ‘mid-June’ for opening of 1st Tennessee club

BJ’s Wholesale Club is edging closer to its opening date in Tennessee.

BJ’s first-ever club in the state of Tennessee is slated to open mid-June, in La Vergne, Peter Frangie, VP of corporate communications, told WGB on Tuesday. Another location in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, is set to open later this year.

The Marlborough, Massachusetts-based wholesale club announced earlier this year plans for its brick-and-mortar expansion into Tennessee with a new club in La Vergne, 20 miles southeast of downtown Nashville, in Rutherford County.

“The opening of our club in La Vergne represents the first of what will be multiple locations in the greater Nashville market,” said Bill Werner, EVP of strategy and development at BJ’s Wholesale Club, in a statement earlier this year on the club’s entrance into Tennessee.

Tennessee isn’t the only state BJ’s is eyeing for store-count growth. Last month, BJ’s announced plans for expansion into Alabama, with a new club in Madison, located 15 miles west of Huntsville, bringing its state count to 20 and deepening its store penetration further west of its traditional Northeast presence.

BJ’s, which reported its fourth quarter fiscal 2022 earnings last month, has seen a continuation of steady gains in market share.

“2022 was a record year, having surpassed $1 billion in adjusted EBITDA [earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization] for the first time in the company’s history,” said President and CEO Bob Eddy in a statement regarding fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. 

Looking to further its impact on the communities it serves, BJ’s last week released its first Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report.

“We believe it is our responsibility to ensure BJ’s Wholesale Club contributes to the health of the communities where we live and work,” said Bob Eddy, president CEO of BJ’s Wholesale Club, in a statement. “We have dedicated time and resources toward improvements and programs that will positively impact our members, team members and communities.”

BJ’s now operates 237 membership-based stores in 18 states.