BJ's Wholesale Club opens first Columbus-area location since pulling out two decades ago
BJ’s Wholesale Club will officially open its newest Ohio location in New Albany on Friday, marking its return to the Columbus market after two decades.
It will be the Massachusetts-based chain's first store in the Columbus area since closing two local locations in 2002.
The company's seventh Ohio location, at 5900 N. Hamilton Rd., will offer produce and other food, home décor and essentials, clothing, electronics, toys, pet supplies, alcohol, a selection of local items and more, available in-store, via curbside pickup, or same-day delivery. In-store customers will also have the option to use BJ's scan-and-go service "ExpressPay."
The membership-based warehouse retailer competes with Costco and Sam's Club.
Why BJ's is returning to Columbus area: 'It's a different time'
BJ's hired 150 employees for the 100,000-plus-square-foot store, which also features a deli, bakery, optical center and tire center. An on-site gas station has been open a few weeks.
Peter Frangie, vice president of corporate communications for BJ's, said BJ's returned to the Columbus area after building a stronger presence in Northeast Ohio. The company also has locations in Akron, Avon, Middleburg Heights, North Canton, Warrensville Heights and Willoughby.
"It's a different time, but we see an incredible opportunity here in this space and in this community," said Frangie. "We feel good about the prospect here."
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He said the store's wide array of produce, deli counter and overall value make BJ's stand out from other stores.
"I think a lot of our members ... see value in our package sizes," said Frangie. "There's not that much waste and then at the same time, grocery stores, they can't offer that kind of bulk packaging value. So we've found a really nice sweet spot."
Partnership with Mid-Ohio Food Collective
The store will partner with the Mid-Ohio Food Collective through BJ's "Feeding Communities" charitable program, where the company donates unsold meat, produce, dairy and bakery items to Feeding America member food banks. The company said it has donated over 140 million pounds of food through the program.
"We are thrilled to establish a new partnership with BJ's Wholesale Club here in the New Albany area," Mid-Ohio Food Collective President and CEO Matt Habash said in a statement. "We are seeing record levels of hunger across our communities. It is always impactful and inspiring when amazing organizations reach out to help us put food on the table and work towards stabilizing families — especially during this time of year."
"We can get those items to those food banks where we know they're gonna get good use and not just go to waste," he said. "So we feel like we're filling a need that way, and we're being a good corporate citizen that way. It's very important for us to be a part of this community."
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Frangie said no other Columbus locations are currently in the works but the company is always looking for opportunities.
Coinciding with the opening, BJ's is offering customers a 1-year, "inner circle" membership for $55, a $40 digital BJ's gift card and $50 in coupons; or a 1-year, BJ's perks rewards membership for $110, an $80 digital BJ's gift card and $50 in coupons for signing up through Thursday at BJs.com/NewAlbany.
BJ's Wholesale Club has 233 locations in 17 states, according to its website.
tmoorman@dispatch.com
@TaijuanNichole
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: BJ's Wholesale opens in New Albany to take on Sam's Club and Costco
