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1 | V The 40-year-old global warehouse club sector is estimated to generate approximately $191 billion in revenues in 2017. The clubs’ business model seeks to limit gross profits so as to offer low prices to members while generating profits for shareholders through reasonable membership fees. The majority of the clubs are located in the US, which accounted for nearly three-quarters of sector revenues in 2016. The market is dominated by three companies: BJ’s Wholesale Club, Costco Wholesale and Sam’s Club (a division of Walmart). The US warehouse club sector grew at a 7.2% CAGR from 2001 through 2016. Its growth rate outpaced that of the total US retail industry by 3.3 percentage points over the period. The international market grew at an even brisker 10.8% CAGR. Yet the sector’s growth rate slowed over the same period, actually hitting zero in 2015. And researchers are forecasting that the US segment will grow at a 2.4% CAGR, more than 1.5 points lower than overall retail, from 2016 through 2020. The spoiler behind the sector’s decelerating growth rate has likely been e-commerce, which the clubs have been slow to embrace. Warehouse clubs currently generate 4% or less of their revenues from e-commerce. As is the case with many other retailers, warehouse clubs need to develop a strategy to compete with e- commerce players, as well as leverage their unique strengths to adapt to other demographic and technological changes. In Part Two of this Deep Dive, we provide an overview of the warehouse-club sector. June 5, 2017 V

In Part Two of this Deep Dive, we provide an overview … · In Part Two of this Deep Dive, we provide an overview of the warehouse-club sector. ... Costco’s Kirkland Signature

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• The40-year-oldglobalwarehouseclubsectorisestimatedtogenerateapproximately$191billioninrevenuesin2017.

• Theclubs’businessmodelseekstolimitgrossprofitssoastoofferlowpricestomemberswhilegeneratingprofitsforshareholdersthroughreasonablemembershipfees.

• ThemajorityoftheclubsarelocatedintheUS,whichaccountedfornearlythree-quartersofsectorrevenuesin2016.Themarketisdominatedbythreecompanies:BJ’sWholesaleClub,CostcoWholesaleandSam’sClub(adivisionofWalmart).

• TheUSwarehouseclubsectorgrewata7.2%CAGRfrom2001through2016.ItsgrowthrateoutpacedthatofthetotalUSretailindustryby3.3percentagepointsovertheperiod.Theinternationalmarketgrewatanevenbrisker10.8%CAGR.

• Yetthesector’sgrowthrateslowedoverthesameperiod,actuallyhittingzeroin2015.AndresearchersareforecastingthattheUSsegmentwillgrowata2.4%CAGR,morethan1.5pointslowerthanoverallretail,from2016through2020.

• Thespoilerbehindthesector’sdeceleratinggrowthratehaslikelybeene-commerce,whichtheclubshavebeenslowtoembrace.Warehouseclubscurrentlygenerate4%orlessoftheirrevenuesfrome-commerce.

• Asisthecasewithmanyotherretailers,warehouseclubsneedtodevelopastrategytocompetewithe-commerceplayers,aswellasleveragetheiruniquestrengthstoadapttootherdemographicandtechnologicalchanges.

InPartTwoofthisDeepDive,weprovideanoverviewofthewarehouse-clubsector.

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ExecutiveSummary..............................................................................................................................3WarehouseClubCompaniesataGlance...............................................................................................5WarehouseClubAdvantages................................................................................................................6EconomiesofScaleMaximizeEfficiency...............................................................................................6ExpandedProductMixAttractsShoppers.............................................................................................7Value,TreasureHuntandOrganicsAppealtoConsumers.....................................................................8IntheSweetSpotoftheWeinswigRetailHourglass.............................................................................9WarehouseClubChallenges...............................................................................................................11GenerationalandDemographicChangesinShopperPreferences.......................................................11E-Commerce.......................................................................................................................................12AmazonEverywhere..........................................................................................................................13Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...13

Table of Contents

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Warehouseclubstoreshavehadagreatruninthe40yearssince1976,whenSolPricefoundedthefirstPriceClub,whichultimatelybecametoday’sCostco.Theclubswereinitiallyopenonlytobusinesscustomers,butlaterallowedemployeesofnonprofitandgovernmentorganizationstojoin,andeventuallyopenedtothepublic.Theclubshadauniquebusinessmodel—limitingprofitabilitysoastopassthesavingsontocustomersandmakingthebulkoftheirprofitsfrommembershipfees.Customerslovetheclubs’lowprices,theabilitytobuyinenormousquantitiesandthedelightoffindingunexpectedbargainsintreasurehuntsthroughoutthestores.Therearenotmanystoresinwhichcustomerscanpurchasea20lb.packageofsteaks,aflat-panelTVandadiamondengagementringallinonetrip.

Thewarehouseclubshavesuccessfullyleveragedpostwardemographics,generallysituatingthemselvesinsuburbanareaswithhighmedianincomesandmanysmallbusinessestoserve,offeringconsumersinthoseareastheconveniencetheyneed.Whileshoppersinsuchareastendtobeaffluent,everybodylovesabargain,somanywell-offconsumersshopthewarehouseclubsalongwiththeirmoreprice-consciousneighbors.

Executive Summary

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Theclubs’popularityhasshownupintheirfinancials.From2001through2016,USwarehouseclubrevenuesgrewataCAGRof6.2%,outpacingthe3.0%annualgrowthrateoftheoverallretailindustrybymorethanthreepercentagepoints.Thesector’sgrowthoutsidetheUSwasevenmorebriskoverthesameperiod,averaging10.8%.Profitabilitydidnotsuffer,either.Despitetheclubs’vowtolimitgrossmarginsinordertoofferattractiveprices,thetopthreeUSwarehouseclubsgenerallyhaveseenoperatingmarginsofaround2%–4%.

Despitethisprosperity,growthhasslowedoverthepast15years,andglobalgrowthgroundtonearzeroin2015,makingitaninflectionpoint.Now,theUSsegmentisforecasttogrowannuallyatabout2.4%,lessthanhalfapointhigherthanthetotalretailindustry.Theslowdowncanbeattributedtochangesindemographicsandthewayspeopleshopand,ofcourse,tothesteadygrowthandencroachmentofe-commerce.In2016,e-commerceaccountedfor8.1%ofUSretailandgrewby15.1%yearoveryear.

Whatshouldthewarehouseclubsdotorecapturetheirpreviousappealtoconsumersandreignitethegrowthratesofyearspast?Clearly,e-commerceispartoftheanswer.Amongthemajorwarehouseclubs,e-commerce’sshareofsalesislikelyhighestatCostco,wherethechannelaccountsfor4%ofrevenues.Oneshort-livedbutinterestingplayerinthee-commercefieldwasJet.com,whichWalmartacquiredin2016.Jetattemptedtocombinethelowpricesofwarehouseclubswiththeconvenienceandeaseofe-commerceandm-commerce.Thecompanyalsoimplementedsomeinnovativewaystoreduceshippingcosts.

Thewarehouseclubsneedtoleveragetheiruniquestrengths,whichincludeprovidinghigh-qualitygoodsatlowpricesandprovidingcustomerswithatreasurehuntexperience,aswellasofferingstrongprivate-labelbrands.Costco’sKirklandSignatureprivatelabelaccountsforaboutone-quarterofthecompany’ssales,makingita$30billionbrand.KirklandSignatureproductsareavailableonAmazon.comandJet.com,andthelabelisarguablyamajorinternationalbrandinitsownright.

WarehouseclubsalsoneedtoadapttothechangingdemographicpatternsofAmericansuburbanlife.Membersofyoungergenerationsareincreasinglylivingincitiesratherthaninsuburbs.Inurbanareas,livingspaceandstorageareatapremium,andmanyurbandwellersdonotownavehiclethattheycandrivetoawarehouseclubandfillwithlarge,bulkypurchases.Tomeettheseconsumers’needs,warehouseclubsshouldexploreofferingmoreoftheirgoodsinsmallerquantitiesonlineandalsoexploredeliverymethodsthate-commercecompaniesareusing,suchasclick-and-collectandexpeditedshipping.

Inthisdeep-divereport,weofferanoverviewofthewarehouseclubsector,analyzethekeyfactorsthatareinfluencingthesectorandprofilethemajorplayers,aswellasprovidesuggestionsonwhatwarehouseclubscandotorecapturethestronggrowththeysawinpreviousperiods.

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Warehouse Club Companies at a Glance

Figure1.SelectedMetricsfortheBigThreeUSWarehouseClubs,2016

Category BJ’s1 Costco2 Sam’sClub3Financial NetRevenues(USDBil.) $15.0 $119.6 $57.4YoY%Change 4.0% 2.5% 0.9%

E-Commerce’sShareofRevenues(LastFY) N/A 4.0% 2.8%*MembershipFeeIncome(USDMil.) $270 $2,683 $1,348

GrossMargin 16.5% 13.8% 16.0%

OperatingProfit(USDMil.) $294 $4,211 $1,671OperatingMargin 2.0% 3.5% 2.9%

Membership NumberofMembers(Mil.) 11.1 87.6 60.3PercentBusiness 25% 55% 20%

PercentConsumer 75% 45% 80%Avg.AnnualHouseholdIncome(USD) $59,600 $74,000 $45,000+

MembershipFee—Basic/Premium(USD) $50/$100 $55/$1104 $45/$100Avg. Annual Membership Fee Revenue perMember(USD)5

$25 $32 $23

Stores NumberofClubs—USandPuertoRico 219 506 659NumberofClubs—International — 219 2016

NumberofClubs—Total 219 725 860TotalStoreArea(Mil.Sq.Ft.) 24 104 88

AverageStoreSize(Thous.Sq.Ft.) 107 144 132

Products NumberofSKUs 7,000 4,000 6,000

NumberofPrivate-LabelSKUs 500 550 500

NumberofPrivate-LabelBrands 8 3 11

Other Avg.SalesperClub(USDMil.) $70 $168 $87

Avg.SalesperSq.Ft. $637 $1,168 $659Avg.SalesperEmployee(USDThous.) $571 $554 $497

Avg.SalesperMember(USD) $1,362 $1,405 $970*ForparentcompanyWalmartSource:Companyreports/eMarketer/USCensusBureau/FungGlobalRetail&Technology

1BJ’swasacquiredbyseveralprivateequityfirmsonSeptember30,2011.Thecompany’slastpublicfilingwasforthefiscalyearendedJanuary2011;allsubsequentfiguresareestimates.2FiguresforCostcointhisreportarecalendarized(Costco’sfiscalyearendsAugust31),unlessotherwisenoted.3FiguresforSam’sClubconsiderthefiscalyearashavingendedinDecemberoftheprioryear.4Costcoannouncedthat,effectiveJune1,2017,themembershipfeeforallUSandCanadaGoldStar(individual),BusinessandBusinessadd-onmemberswillriseto$60,andthatmembershipfeesforExecutivemembersintheUSandCanadawillriseto$120.5Averagefeerevenueisbelowthemembershipfeeduetofreememberships(e.g.,Costcoprovidesafreehouseholdcardwithallpaidmemberships).6Sam’sClub’sinternationalstoresarereportedunderWalmart’sInternationalsegment.

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EconomiesofScaleMaximizeEfficiencyWarehouseclubsoffermembersthelowestpossibleretailprices,sometimesreachingwholesalelevels.Alargemembershipbaseenablestheclubstopurchaselargevolumesatlowcost.Beyondthat,limitingthenumberofSKUstheypurchasetojust4,000–8,000enableswarehouseclubstopurchaseevenlargervolumesinfewercategories,whichhelpsthemmaintainacapongrossmarginsonbehalfoftheircustomers.Inthisway,thesectorachieveseconomiesofscalethatcompetitorsinotherretailformats—includingthemassmerchandise,discount,consumerelectronicsandsupermarketformats—cannoteasilyachieve,giventheirlargerofferingsof25,000–100,000SKUs.Inmanycategories,consumerscanfindsubstantialsavingsatwarehouseclubs.Comparedwithpricesatlocalgrocers,forexample,theaveragesavingscanbe65%ormore.

Alimitedmerchandiseselectionalsoenablestheclubstomaximizeefficiencyinproductdistribution,handling,stockingandmerchandising.FewerSKUsdrivesuperiorinventoryturns,too.Sincethenarrowchoiceleadstosalesofwhatisavailable,aslongastheitemsaredesirable,thosesalesdriveinventoryturns.Whiletheclubs’actualgrossmargindollarsmaybebelowthoseofmassmerchantsorsupermarkets,greaterturnsgeneratemoreingrossmargindollarsperSKU.

Warehouse Club Advantages

Warehouseclubsoffermembersthelowestpossibleretailprices,sometimesreachingwholesalelevels.Alargemembershipbaseenablestheclubstopurchaselargevolumesatlowcost.Beyondthat,limitingthenumberofSKUstheypurchasetojust4,000–8,000enableswarehouseclubstopurchaseevenlargervolumesinfewercategories,whichhelpsthemmaintainacapongrossmarginsonbehalfoftheircustomers.

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ExpandedProductMixAttractsShoppersWhilesellingnationalbrands(inbothfoodandnonfoodcategories)atverylowpricesistheclubs’valueproposition,thechainsareincreasinglysellingprivate-labelproductsandaddingbusinesses,suchasgasfillingstations,pharmacies,automaintenanceservicesandopticalcenters.

ThefigurebelowshowsthatCostco’srevenuesharebycategoryhasremainedfairlyconstantduringthepastfiveyears,thoughfoods,freshfoodsandsoftlinegoodshaveexperiencedslightincreases.Together,foodsandfreshfoodsrepresentmorethanone-thirdofCostco’srevenues.

Figure2.CostcoRevenueBreakdown,byCategory

Source:Companyreports

21% 21% 22% 22% 22%

13% 13% 13% 14% 14%

22% 22% 21% 21% 21%

16% 16% 16% 16% 16%

10% 11% 11% 11% 12%

18% 17% 17% 16% 15%

FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16

Foods FreshFoods Sundries Hardlines Sonlines Other

Costco’srevenuesharebycategoryhasremainedfairlyconstantduringthepastfiveyears,thoughfoods,freshfoodsandsoftlinegoodshaveexperiencedslightincreases.Together,foodsandfreshfoodsrepresentmorethanone-thirdofCostco’srevenues.

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Value,TreasureHuntandOrganicsAppealtoConsumersWarehouseclubsappealtoconsumersonanumberoffrontsasidefromofferingvalue.Theyalsoofferashoppingexperiencethathasatreasurehuntaspect,ascertainitemsmaybeavailableonlyduringasinglevisit,ratherthaneverytimeashoppervisitsthestore.Inaddition,theclubsappealtotheirmembersbyofferingarangeoforganicitems,whichhavegrowninpopularityoverrecentyears.

Thebargain:Warehouseclubmembersenjoyknowingtheyaregettingthebestdealpossible.Theno-frillsshoppingenvironmentoftheclubs,alongwiththeirlackofadvertising,communicatesthevaluepropositiontomembers—nounnecessaryexpenditureswillthreatenthesavingspassedalongtomembers.(Multivendormailerspaidforbywarehouseclubsareusedformarketing,buttheseoftencontaincouponsthatmakethedealsevenbetter.)

Littleluxuriesandbigluxuries:Frugalwarehouseclubshoppersstillwantluxuries,andtheclubformatoffersthoseatverycompetitiveprices.Thecombinationofhigh-endandlow-endproductsmakeswarehouseclubsevenmoreofadestinationforshopping.AstheWeinswigRetailHourglassmodelbelowillustrates,high-andlow-endretailersareenjoyingsuccess,whilethoseinthemidmarketarenotfaringaswell.Warehouseclubmemberscanaffordtosplurgeonafewluxuryitemsbytradingdownonotheritemsintheirshoppingcart.

Thetreasurehunt:Asteadyflowofhigh-end,uniquemerchandiseisaconstantatwarehouseclubs,creatingatreasure-huntexperienceforshoppers.Thismerchandisingstrategyincludesa“buyitnow”factor,asaproductmaynotbeinstockonthemember’snextvisit.Moreover,savingmoneybyshoppinginawarehousecluballowsconsumerstojustifytherewardofavalue-pricedtreasure.TreasuresatCostcoincludeachangingassortmentoffinejewelryandthePolishStonewarecollectioninhousewares.AtSam’sClub,aKitchenAidgrillwasrecentlyofferedata30%discounttoitsoriginal,$1,299.99pricetag.About25%ofCostco’srevenuesderivefromtreasure-huntitems,accordingtoarecentForbesarticle.

Organics:Warehouseclubspridethemselvesondiscoveringnewitemsthatwillinteresttheiraffluentmembershipandgeneratesales.“Organic”isthenewbuzzwordinfoodandhealthandbeautyaidsand,forwarehousecluboperators,organicsrepresenttheircoresectortenets,combiningqualityandthefunofatreasurehuntwithexclusiveandhard-to-findproducts.Costcomorethandoubleditsnumberoforganicofferingsfrom50afewyearsagotomorethan130in2016.Thecompanyrecentlyexceeded$4billioninannualorganicssales,bypassingWholeFoodsMarkettotakethenumber-onespotintermsoforganicssales.Generally,organicshaveahigherpricepointandhigherprofitmarginthandononorganics,drivinguptheaveragetransactionvalue.

Warehouseclubsappealtoconsumersonanumberoffrontsasidefromofferingvalue.Theyalsoofferashoppingexperiencethathasatreasurehuntaspect,ascertainitemsmaybeavailableonlyduringasinglevisit,ratherthaneverytimeashoppervisitsthestore.

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IntheSweetSpotoftheWeinswigRetailHourglassAlthoughperformancevariesbychain,budget-friendlywarehouseclubshavebenefitedfromthebifurcationinUSretail,characterizedbyFungGlobalRetail&Technology’sWeinswigRetailHourglassmodel.Themodelillustratesthatpremiumstoresatthetopend,suchasNordstrom,andbudgetretailersatthevalueend,suchasWalmart,areflourishing.Meanwhile,midmarketdepartmentstores,suchasJCPenneyandKohl’s,arelanguishing.

Figure3.TheWeinswigRetailHourglassModel

Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology

ThehourglassmodelitselfisrepresentativeoftheshrinkingmiddleclassintheUS.Medianhouseholdincomehasresistedgrowthsincehittingapeakof$57,843in1999.Itnearlyreturnedtoitsprevioushighin2007beforefallingtoarecentlowof$52,605in2012.

Althoughperformancevariesbychain,budget-friendlywarehouseclubshavebenefitedfromthebifurcationinUSretail,characterizedbyFungGlobalRetail&Technology’sWeinswigRetailHourglassmodel.

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Figure4.US:MedianHouseholdIncome(USD)

Source:USCensusBureau

AccordingtothePewResearchCenter,theUSwealth(netassets)gapbetweenupper-incomeandmiddle-incomefamiliesisnowthewidestonrecordsince1983,at6.6times,reflectingnowealthgrowthformiddle-andlower-incomefamilies.Datafrom2012underlinethethree-decadesagaofmiddle-classstagnation.Againstthismacroeconomicbackdrop,itisnosurprisethatthemiddlegroundinUSretailisunderpressure.

Fortunatelyforwarehouseclubs,frugalityhasbecomethenewnormalinthepostrecessionrecovery.Whilethatfrugalitycertainlyplaystothecompetitiveadvantagesofwarehouseclubs,theclubsalsobenefitbytouchingupontheluxuryendoftheWeinswigRetailHourglass,astheyoffersomeluxuryitemsatverycompetitivepricestoindulgecustomers.Theclubs’abilitytoplayatboththehighandlowendsoftheretailmarketispowerful.

$46,000

$48,000

$50,000

$52,000

$54,000

$56,000

$58,000

$60,000

90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15

MedianIncome 1999Peak

Fortunatelyforwarehouseclubs,frugalityhasbecomethenewnormalinthepostrecessionrecovery.Whilethatfrugalitycertainlyplaystothecompetitiveadvantagesofwarehouseclubs,theclubsalsobenefitbytouchingupontheluxuryendoftheWeinswigRetailHourglass,astheyoffersomeluxuryitemsatverycompetitivepricestoindulgecustomers.

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GenerationalandDemographicChangesinShopperPreferencesMuchhaschangedinretailinthe60-plusyearssinceentrepreneurSolPriceopenedhisveryfirststore,aFedMart,inanairplanehangarinSanDiego,California.Intheinterveningdecades,wehaveseenWalmartrisetoprominence,theadventandexpansionoftheInternetande-commerce,andsignificantchangesindemographicandsocialtrends.TheriseofwarehouseclubstoresseemspredicatedonthesuburbanizationintheUSthatpickedupafterWorldWarII,whichdroveanincreaseinconsumptionandtheconsumereconomy.

Inrecentyears,ithasbecomefashionable,particularlyamongtwentysomethings,tomovebacktourbancenters,whicharecharacterizedbysmallapartmentsratherthanbythelargehousescommoninsuburbs.Theseyoungerconsumersaremorelikelytoshareassets,suchascars,andtousepublictransportation—whichmakestransportingbulkquantitiesofgoodsfromawarehousestoreimpracticalandunwieldy.Moreover,thelowpricesandconvenienceofferedthroughe-commerce,mobilecommerce,andsubscriptionandotherservicesmakeitpossibleforshopperstohavegoodseasilyshippedtotheirhomesnow,eliminatingtheneedtodriveandloadavehicleatawarehousestore.Theseareonlysomeofthechallengesthatwarehouseclubsfaceintermsoffuturegrowth.

Warehouse Club Challenges

Youngerconsumersaremorelikelytoshareassets,suchascars,andtousepublictransportation—whichmakestransportingbulkquantitiesofgoodsfromawarehousestoreimpracticalandunwieldy.

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E-CommerceE-commercecontinuestogrowatamuchfasterratethanUSretailoverall,andtorepresentanever-greatershareofthemarket.Inthefirstquarterof2017,thee-commercechannelaccountedfor8.5%oftotalUSretailcommerce,andgrewat14.7%yearoveryear,onaseasonallyadjustedbasis.

Figure5.E-Commerce’sShareofUSRetailSales

Dataareseasonallyadjusted.Source:USCensusBureau

Inrecentquarters,thiscurvehassteepened,indicatinganaccelerationofe-commerce’ssharegainsattheexpenseoftraditionalbrick-and-mortarstores.

8.5%

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Inthefirstquarterof2017,thee-commercechannelaccountedfor8.5%oftotalUSretailcommerce,andgrewat14.7%yearoveryear,onaseasonallyadjustedbasis.

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AmazonEverywhereAmazonisbuildingonitsearlysuccessindisruptingthemarketsforbooksandmediabysteadilycontinuingtomoveintonewproductcategories,includinggroceryandapparel.ThecompanyisuniquelyabletoleveragebothitsITinfrastructure(throughAmazonWebServices)anditscontinuallydevelopingdeliveryinfrastructure,whichservestoreduceitsfulfillmentcostsbutcanalsobeemployedforgrocerydelivery.

Source:Shutterstock

Amazon’sPrimemembershipprogramworkssimilarlytoawarehouseclubmembership:memberspayanannualfeeforaccesstotheprogramanditsbenefits.Amongotherbenefits,AmazonPrimemembersreceivefreetwo-dayshipping,accesstoAmazon’saudioandvideoofferings,accesstofreebooks,andaccesstootherexclusiveservicessuchastheEchoconnectedintelligentdevice,Dashreorderingbuttons,andtheAmazonPrimeNowsmartphoneapp,whichenablesuserstoreceiveone-ortwo-hourdeliveryinselectedcities.

AmazonFreshisagrocerydeliveryservicethatisexclusivetoPrimemembers.Theservicecostsanadditional$14.99amonthontopofAmazonPrime,anddeliveriesarefreeforordersover$40.Memberscanorderfreshproduceandgroceries,includingspecialtiesfromlocalshopsandmarkets,forsame-dayornext-daydelivery,andcanselectatimefordelivery.

Conclusion—PartTwoPartTwoofthereportexaminedtheadvantagesandchallengeswarehouseclubsface.Advantagesincludetheeconomiesofscalewhileprovidingsignificantvaluepricingtocustomersandatreasurehuntshoppingexperiencethatoffersunexpectedsurprisesandbargains.Challengesthewarehouseclubsfaceincludeshiftingshopperpreferencesduetogenerationalanddemographicchanges,thesteadyencroachmentofe-commerce,andAmazon’sentryintomultipleareasofcommerce.

PartThreediscusses10topicsaffectingthewarehouseclubsectorandretailingeneral:thechanginggroceryshopper,e-commerce,mobilecommerce,roboticsinretail,privatelabels,thesourcingrevolution,ancillaryproductsandservices,USmarketsaturation,internationalexpansion,andthebriefindependenceofJet.com.ThereportconcludeswithprofilesofthetopthreeUSwarehouseclubsandananalysisoftheattractivenessofselectedglobalmarkets.

Amazon’sPrimemembershipprogramworkssimilarlytoawarehouseclubmembership:memberspayanannualfeeforaccesstotheprogramanditsbenefits

PartTwoofthereportexaminedtheadvantagesandchallengeswarehouseclubsface.PartThreediscusses10topicsaffectingthewarehouseclubsectorandretailingeneral.

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DeborahWeinswig,CPAManagingDirectorFungGlobalRetail&TechnologyNewYork:917.655.6790HongKong:852.6119.1779China:86.186.1420.3016deborahweinswig@fung1937.comJohnMercerSeniorAnalyst

JohnHarmon,CFASeniorAnalyst

AmyLinResearchAssistant

HongKong:8thFloor,LiFungTower888CheungShaWanRoad,KowloonHongKongTel:85223004406London:242-246MaryleboneRoadLondon,NW16JQUnitedKingdomTel:44(0)2076168988NewYork:1359Broadway,9thFloorNewYork,NY10018Tel:6468397017FungGlobalRetailTech.com