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REVENUE RECOGNITION
9 Months Ended
May 31, 2025
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]  
REVENUE RECOGNITION REVENUE RECOGNITION
Performance Obligations
The Company identifies each distinct performance obligation to transfer goods (or bundle of goods) or services. The Company recognizes revenue when (or as) it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control of the goods or services to the customer.
Net Merchandise Sales. The Company recognizes merchandise sales revenue, net of sales taxes, on transactions where the Company has determined that it is the principal in the sale of merchandise. These transactions may include shipping commitments and/or shipping revenue if the transaction involves delivery to the customer.
Membership Fee Revenue. Membership income represents annual membership fees paid by the Company’s warehouse club Members, which are recognized ratably over the 12-month term of the membership. Our membership policy allows Members to cancel their membership in the first 60 days and receive a full refund. After the 60-day period, membership refunds are prorated over the remaining term of the membership. The Company has significant experience with membership refund patterns and expects membership refunds will not be material. Therefore, no refund reserve was required for the periods presented. Membership fee revenue is included in membership income in the Company's consolidated statements of income. The deferred membership fee is included in deferred income in the Company's consolidated balance sheets.
Platinum Points Reward Programs. The Company currently offers Platinum Memberships in all of its markets. The Platinum Membership provides Members with a 2% rebate on most items, up to an annual maximum of $500. The rebate is issued annually to Platinum Members on March 1 and expires August 31. Platinum Members can apply this rebate to future purchases at the warehouse club during the redemption period. The Company records this 2% rebate as a reduction of revenue at the time of the sales transaction. Accordingly, the Company has reduced warehouse sales and has accrued a liability within other accrued expenses and other current liabilities, platinum rewards. The Company has determined that breakage revenue is 5% of the awards issued; therefore, it records 95% of the Platinum Membership liability at the time of sale. Annually, the Company reviews for expired unused rebates outstanding, and the expired unused rebates are recognized as “Other revenue and income” on the consolidated statements of income.
Co-branded Credit Card Points Reward Programs. Most of the Company’s subsidiaries have points reward programs related to co-branded credit cards. These points reward programs provide incremental points that a Member can use at a future time to acquire merchandise within the Company’s warehouse clubs. This results in two performance obligations, the first performance obligation being the initial sale of the merchandise or services purchased with the co-branded credit card and the second performance obligation being the future use of the points rewards to purchase merchandise or services. As a result, upon the initial sale, the Company allocates the transaction price to each performance obligation with the amount allocated to the future use points rewards recorded as a contract liability within other accrued expenses and other current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. The portion of the selling price allocated to the reward points is recognized as Net merchandise sales when the points are used or when the points expire. The Company reviews on an annual basis expired points rewards outstanding, and the expired rewards are recognized as Net merchandise sales on the consolidated statements of income within markets where the co-branded credit card agreement allows for such treatment.
Gift Cards. Members’ purchases of gift cards to be utilized at the Company's warehouse clubs are not recognized as sales until the card is redeemed and the customer purchases merchandise using the gift card. The outstanding gift cards are reflected as other accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. These gift cards generally have a one-year stated expiration date from the date of issuance and are generally redeemed prior to expiration. However, the absence of a large volume of transactions for gift cards impairs the Company's ability to make a reasonable estimate of the redemption levels for gift cards; therefore, the Company assumes a 100% redemption rate prior to expiration of the gift cards. The Company periodically reviews unredeemed outstanding gift cards, and the gift cards that have expired are recognized as “Other revenue and income” on the consolidated statements of income.
Co-branded Credit Card Revenue Sharing Agreements. As part of the co-branded credit card agreements that the Company has entered into with financial institutions within its markets, the Company often enters into revenue sharing agreements. As part of these agreements, in some countries, the Company receives a portion of the interest income generated from the average outstanding balances on the co-branded credit cards from these financial institutions (“interest generating portfolio” or “IGP”). The Company recognizes its portion of interest received as revenue during the period it is earned. The Company has determined that this revenue should be recognized as “Other revenue and income” on the consolidated statements of income.
Contract Performance Liabilities
Contract performance liabilities as a result of transactions with customers primarily consist of deferred membership income, other deferred income, deferred gift card revenue, Platinum points programs, and liabilities related to co-branded credit card points rewards programs which are included in deferred income and other accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The following table provides these contract balances from transactions with customers as of the dates listed (in thousands):
Contract Liabilities
May 31,
2025
August 31,
2024
Deferred membership income$41,619 $36,222 
Other contract performance liabilities$16,019 $15,479 
Disaggregated Revenues
In the following table, net merchandise sales are disaggregated by merchandise category (in thousands):
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
May 31,
2025
May 31,
2024
May 31,
2025
May 31,
2024
Foods & Sundries$607,693 $576,433 $1,813,765 $1,745,350 
Fresh Foods400,264 358,764 1,170,266 1,055,562 
Hardlines
141,357 132,004 440,790 408,774 
Softlines
70,632 62,483 216,761 189,441 
Food Service and Bakery
56,792 53,211 169,025 159,086 
Health Services
13,259 11,636 37,804 32,248 
Net Merchandise Sales$1,289,997 $1,194,531 $3,848,411 $3,590,461