BJ’s Names Anjana Harve EVP, CIO

BJ’s Wholesale Club has brought on Anjana Harve in the role of EVP, chief information officer, effective immediately. Harve will report directly to Chairman and CEO Bob Eddy, and will be responsible for the strategic leadership and direction of the company’s information technology organization to drive business outcomes, optimize revenue growth and improve operating efficiencies.

Harve previously served as global CIO at Fresenius Medical Care, and also held various CIO and technology leadership roles at Hill-Rom, Novartis and Shire.

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“I’m pleased to have a leader of Anjana’s experience joining BJ’s,” Eddy said. “She brings more than 25 years of experience driving innovative technology transformations and leading and inspiring high-performing teams. She will play a crucial role in further strengthening our technology to advance our long-term strategic growth priorities and deliver greater value for our members.”

Meanwhile, a closer look at the company’s recently released second quarter financial results reveals a fairly steady grocery business despite headwinds and an evolving market. Despite the fact that total comparable club sales dropped 5.3% over previous-year levels, comps excluding gasoline sales were actually up by 1.1%.

There are some performance nuances in terms of store visits, too. A recent report from Placer.ai indicated that trips to BJ’s stores were down 3% from July 2022 to July 2023, but traffic was still 6.7% higher than the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

Eddy summed up the second quarter as strong, citing gains in membership and market share. "We continue to balance gross margins with investments in value and in growing the size and quality of our membership with an eye toward the future. I’m proud of the team’s execution in the quarter and believe that we are well positioned for continued growth,” he said.

It’s shaping up to be a busy third quarter for BJ’s. The club operator recently opened the membership center for its first Alabama location, and also announced that its third location in Tennessee will open in the town of Goodlettsville in early 2024.

Marlborough, Mass.-based BJ’s currently operates over 230 clubs and 168 BJ’s Gas locations in 19 states. The company is No. 27 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2023 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.