This Costco Rival is Rapidly Expanding and Opening Up in a New State
With staple items like gas, groceries, and household products on the rise from inflation, it's no surprise that warehouse chains are seeing an increasing number of Americans considering memberships. With discounts across the board on necessary items—wholesale retailers with bulk products and numerous discounts are looking more enticing than ever.
One—BJ's Wholesale Club—has seen a successful past couple of years and is looking to expand with four new locations only three months after announcing for other openings. Of the latest batch, one warehouse will be the club's first location in Indiana, bringing the grand total of states the chain operates to 18.
The Hoosier State will see the chain open the doors to its Noblesville warehouse this year, just outside of Indianapolis. Other new locations are also planned for Columbus and New Albany, Ohio, as well as Wayne, N.J., and Midlothian, Va.
"We've seen tremendous success in growing our footprint over the last several years, both in our core East Coast communities as well as in new markets like the greater Detroit and Pittsburgh areas," said Bill Werner, executive vice president of strategy and development at BJ's in a statement. "Our expansion into the greater Indianapolis and Columbus markets allows us to bring the value of our membership to these new communities we look forward to serving."
BJ's new warehouses will feature a selection of fresh foods, a full-service deli, household essentials, apparel for the family, seasonal items, toys, tech, and local products. All will also have a gas station. In addition, BJ's features coupons, pick-up in-club, curbside pickup, and same-day delivery (some perks that Costco does not).
Currently, BJ's Wholesale Club has 229 clubs and 160 gas stations. With the addition of the four newest clubs, the company will have over 230 locations.
The most recent warehouse and gas station opening took place on May 13 in Lady Lake, Fla. It was first announced in March, along with other locations in Canton, Mich, Greenburgh, N.Y., and Warwick, R.I. The Rhode Island location is also unlike any BJ's has built so far—despite the fact that it's a wholesale club, it is about half the size of a regular BJ's warehouse. Roughly 43,000-square-feet, it officially opened on May 6 and is called BJ's Market. All the perks of the full-sized locations are available here, and it is serving as a sort of test for the company to diversify revenue streams, CEO Robert Eddy said when reporting 2021 financial results in March.
Headed out shopping? Check out what's cooking at America's largest retail store: This Fast Food Chain Just Opened Another Location Inside Walmart.