BJ's closing 3 Atlanta-area stores

Kelly McFalls, a spokesperson for the company, said the three locations were not meeting business expectations and had not been profitable for years. The company now is trying to "realign for success," she said. It has been a rumored acquisition target.

"The clubs that are closing, it's a function of location as well as high rent costs," McFalls said. "We don't want anyone to think this is the beginning of the end."

BJ's entered the market in 2002 and the stores to be closed were opened in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Members, who pay $50 annually, will have their membership fees refunded via mail by Jan. 14. McFalls would not say how many members the stores served or how much money would be refunded.

The company said gas stations at those stores will remain operational until the gas supply is depleted.

Stacey Breier, finance manager at Vending Corporation of America, said she shops at the Norcross BJ's every other week because it is convenient to her office. Breier said she spends $100 or more a visit, stocking her office's kitchen with drinks and snacks.

"I prefer to buy in bulk and it's the closest place to do it," she said. "It's kind of disappointing. I do a lot of shopping there."

In addition to the Atlanta stores, BJ's is closing two other locations, one in Sunrise, Fla., and another in Charlotte. In a statement, CEO Laura J. Sen said the company will consider expanding again in those markets and in Atlanta if compelling opportunities present themselves. The company is also cutting jobs at its home office.

The company, which operates 194 stores in 15 states, also announced Tuesday that it saw a 3.8 percent same-store sales increase in December 2010 over December 2009 and that two executives would be retiring at the end of the month.