Club & Warehouse

SALT LAKE CITY — Walmart and Sam's Club stores, with the help of associate, customer and member donations, between May 1 and June 13 raised more thatn $27.9 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

During the six-week campaign, Walmart and Sam’s Club customers and members were invited to make a donation of $1, $2 or $5 at the register to the Children's Miracle Network Hospital in their community. Additional in-store fundraisers were held to bolster fundraising efforts.

San Diego -- Warehouse club operator PriceSmart reported Thursday that net income for the quarter ended May 31 rose to $16.3 million, compared with $12 million in the year-ago period.

Sales surged 23.6% to $421.6 million, from $341.2 million.

The company had previously announced it acquired 131,524 sq. ft. of land in Cali, Colombia, upon which it will build its second warehouse club in Colombia.
 

Costco and BJ’s reported impressive same-store sales for June, and that’s good news for Sam’s Club. Given the strong correlation in performance between Sam’s and its direct competitors it is reasonable to assume Sam’s is on track to easily attain its second quarter same-store sales guidance, which calls for an increase in the range of 3% to 5%. Sam’s posted a first-quarter comp increase of 4.2% but doesn’t provide monthly updates.

New York City -- Discounters and warehouse clubs turned in robust performances in June, led by Costco Wholesale Club, whose same-store sales in the United States rose 12%, while internationally same-store sales jumped 18%. Excluding the impact of inflation in gasoline prices and stronger foreign currencies, Costco said same-store sales in June rose 8%. Its results beat expectations.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. and WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — Costco and BJ’s reported some impressive same-store sales for June, but peel the onion back a bit and the numbers are not quite as stellar as they seem. Sam’s Club does not report monthly sales.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club is highlighting health-and-wellness issues through its latest campaign, and has pledged to donate up to $2 million to four nonprofits.

The retailer's 2011 Giving Made Simple campaign allows Sam's Club members and associates to direct a portion of the company's donations to four health-related nonprofit organizations: Alliance for a Healthier Generation, OASIS, Sesame Street and The Y.

Sam’s Club is at it again this weekend. Attempting to persuade members to upgrade to the $100 Plus membership level by dangling the additional savings possible via the eValues program in front of them during a key seasonal sales occasion. The program is innovative and convenient in that money-saving offers are loaded directly onto members’ cards, but encouraging upgrade activity in the current economic climate is quite challenging, even when the immediate savings available via the eValues program more than offset the additional membership fee.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam's Club announced that all of its members can take advantage of its eValues program for savings on select items through July 4. 

"Just in time for Independence Day, we are offering all members freedom to sample our eValues and find everything they need for the holiday," said Mike Turner, SVP membership at Sam's Club. "From TVs and computers to hamburgers, cheese trays and pork barbecue, we are celebrating with summer savings.

Featured products and savings include: