BJ's Wholesale Club announces opening date for new store at Willowbrook Mall
WAYNE — BJ's Wholesale Club will open a new warehouse store and tire center at Willowbrook Mall on Friday.
The 105,031-square-foot club — the first BJ's location in the county — will be in the northwest wing of the mall. With its opening, the retail center will fill a vast cavity that was left empty by the closing of the Sears department store in September 2019.
The Sears closing has paved the way for a host of new experiences at the mall, which turned 53 years old this fall.
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The Dave & Buster's arcade and restaurant and the Yard House bar and restaurant were carved out of space it once occupied. And the Cinemark movie theater, which opened two months after the department store closed, was built where its auto center had been.
On Monday, workers were observed at the current job site — some hoisted on a boom lift and painting the facade of the new store in white. New shopping carts were perfectly arranged and secured in their pens in the parking lot.
BJ's is a members-only chain that sells groceries, pet food and a wide selection of general merchandise, including everything from desktop computers to kitchen appliances and patio furniture.
The local BJ's will also have a gas station, with six fuel pumps and a 169-square-foot kiosk containing an office and bathrooms.
An agent for Brookfield Properties, the Chicago-based operator of the mall, said the gas station should be open to motorists early next month.
There are 233 BJ's clubs and 163 gas stations in 18 states, including two dozen in New Jersey. The nearest locations are 4.9 miles away on Route 23 north in Riverdale and 9.6 miles away on Route 17 north in Paramus.
BJ's, which is based in Massachusetts, has more than 6.5 million members. According to a presentation given to its investors in August, an average member spends about $2,000 at its clubs each year.
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: devencentis@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: BJ's Wholesale Club Wayne NJ store opening at Willowbrook Mall
