Executive Vice President of Strategy & Development, Bjs Whsl Club Hldgs
Search every verified William Werner interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a September 2018 interview on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street," BJ's Wholesale Club CEO Chris Baldwin discussed the company's initial public offering and the retail landscape. Baldwin stated that the consumer in the United States is "in good shape" and that "discount retail works," particularly when combined with a membership model. He noted that BJ's geographic focus is the Northeast, from New England down the East Coast to Florida, and expressed encouragement about opportunities to grow from that footprint. Baldwin acknowledged that any retailer who says they do not compete with Amazon "isn't being truthful," but asserted that "value retail works" and that BJ's is well-positioned. Baldwin said BJ's prices groceries at about 25 to 30 percent below grocery stores in its regions, and described the company's investments in omnichannel convenience, including a partnership with Instacart for delivery and a "buy online pick up in club" option. He stated that the company's cash flow is strong, with leverage expected to fall below three times by the end of 2019, and that private equity owners have made major investments in IT infrastructure. Baldwin also said BJ's deals with wage pressure on a regional basis and treats employees well, and that the company has no plans to expand internationally.
“I think the biggest thing it says is the consumer in the United States is in good shape and discount retail works and when you add a membership model on top of discount retail the business is healthy, vibrant and growing.”
“In the Northeast we are what's important about it so our geographic scale and markets like New York, New England all the way down the east coast of Florida is a big part of how we run our company and we're encouraged by the opportunities to take that footprint and grow from there.”
“Any retailer who says that they don't compete with Amazon isn't being truthful. So there is no doubt that the consumer is getting great value and great convenience but in the world we're living in today value retail works and membership on top of value retail is a business we feel great about.”
“We generally price groceries at about 25 to 30 percent below grocery stores in the geographies in which we compete and that's a big part of how we drive traffic.”
BJ's Wholesale CEO Chris Baldwin speaks to "Squawk on the Street" about the company's initial public offering, the landscape for ...
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