BJ Wholesale fans: What should I look forward to?

[stitch'sgirl]

I have seen several people talk about BJs on the boards and I haven't paid too much attention as they are not in my area. That is all about to change as one is going up about 5 minutes from work. What do I need to know? I already have a Costco membership. What does BJs beat Costco in?

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Our family has had memberships (at varying times) to Costco, Sam's, and BJ's. We really disliked Sam's Club and would not consider it again. When we moved to our current location, there was both a BJ's and a Costco. We gave BJ's a chance for a couple of years, as we had never been in an area that had one before, while simultaneously holding onto our membership with Costco, but we eventually dropped the BJ's one. The two stores do carry similar items, although somewhat different brands, so that might affect which one you choose to shop at. For example, I used to have a friend pick me up large canisters of Hershey's cocoa powder at BJ's, because I could never find them at Costco. For us, Costco seemed to have much better quality in their items overall and fresher produce. Produce from our BJ's used to spoil in only a few days. They would leave the older produce on the shelves, even when they had fresher items languishing in the back. The one thing that we did prefer about BJ's was that they had a deli counter where they would cut your lunch meats and cheeses for you. My family prefers thinly sliced meats and cheeses and you can't get that at Costco. That wasn't enough to keep us going to BJ's though. In the end, we dropped our BJ's membership and have gone back to shopping exclusively at Costco and are very happy with our decision. After belonging to all three stores, I have told my husband that we can never move to a location again that doesn't have a Costco.

 

[monorailsilver]

We only have BJs. Costco is coming soon a bit closer so I will join to see what we can get. Anyways, you can use manufactures coupons as well as the BJs coupons.

Other then that I am pretty sure they are the same...aka sell in bulk.

 

[RUDisney]

Sam's Club has the monopoly in my area, so I'm a member. My parents and BIL drive an hour to go to Costco. I don't have that kind of time. They keep telling me that they will take me there some time and I will become a believer.

I wish Costco would open up closer.

 

[Christine]

I had a 3 month membership to BJs last year, just to give it a try. I couldn't find anything that bested Costco. Yes, agreeing with another, they do have a deli but that wasn't something I needed.

I didn't find any of their merchandise to exceed Costco's offerings. But it's a personal thing based on what you like. Our's didn't have rotisserie chicken but they did have rotisserie turkeys. Bought a few for Thanksgiving. Not very good.

 

[dez1978]

I'm jealous you some of you have 2 or 3 options. We only have Sams. There isn't a costco or bj's anywhere near us.

 

[larissawbb]

Our BJ’s has organic produce for cheaper than conventional.

 

[stitch'sgirl]

Thanks for all the input, I am a die hard Costco fan and looks like I am good to go. I might have to get a membership just for gas though as Costco is a drive. Something to consider!

 

[Hikergirl]

I can't compare BJs and Costco because we don't have Costco here.
I shop BJs often.
They have very good deli meat and their prices are much lower than grocery stores.
They have the best rotisserie chickens 3lbs for $5.
I get my bread, bagels and english muffins there too because of the prices.
The only produce I will not get there is bananas, everything else is fresh and lasts.
I think it is possible to find better prices elsewhere, but if you don't want to go to another store and need it, BJ's is fine.
I get my milk and eggs there, water, and all my paper products.
I assume the prices are comparable to Costco but BJs lets you combine their coupons with manufacturers.

 

[OneOftheB's]

We have both a Costco and a BJ's membership, but I prefer BJ's. IDK about your area, but both of the Costco near me are in areas that are poorly planned, traffic wise making a higher volume of traffic even worse than it really should be. I'm beginning to think they need to hire new engineers to plan their locations (ever single Costco I've ever visited has been a hot mess, traffic and parking wise).

The biggest advantage that BJ's has, in my eyes, is discounted Disney gift cards. They routinely are 4% off (I think) but if you watch your emails they run additional discounts, either % wise or $ off certain gift cards, Disney often being one. Most of the gift card discounts are online only, so don't expect the store to have the same special or even match it, they will not. If you do buy Disney gift cards, choose one with a set value and not the one where you choose the value- those are never discounted.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I have seen several people talk about BJs on the boards and I haven't paid too much attention as they are not in my area. That is all about to change as one is going up about 5 minutes from work. What do I need to know? I already have a Costco membership. What does BJs beat Costco in?

I like BJ’s and have been a member for over 20 years. Some of my favorite things there are the bakery, the deli, books, seasonal merchandise, optical dept, gas station and auto center (great prices on tires).

When I first joined, there were no Costcos (or Sam’s) nearby. Since then I’ve been to Costco with friends, but only a handful of times. I’d say they’re pretty comparable. I think it’s really just a personal preference and depends on the type of products you regularly purchase.

I would give BJ’s a chance. Since there’s a new location opening in the area, they will likely offer a free trial membership. If not, you can get a one-day pass from the customer service desk, although I know they charge an extra fee on purchases. But you can always just go into the store to check it out without buying anything, and then decide if it’s worth it to you.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

I have seen several people talk about BJs on the boards and I haven't paid too much attention as they are not in my area. That is all about to change as one is going up about 5 minutes from work. What do I need to know? I already have a Costco membership. What does BJs beat Costco in?

BJ's has the best frozen mini eclairs, and their bakery chocolate chunk cookies are amazing.

I do a big shopping trip once a month at BJs. I get most of our meat for the month, snacks, and some produce there. Great coupons; they seem to alternate months between Tide, All and Gain detergents; same with cat litters/food/dog food; etc.

I alternate what I need to buy, so one month I get laundry detergent and fabric softener, the next I get cleaning products and dish soaps. Every 3rd or 4th month, I pick up bath soap for DH and DS, deodorants for DH and myself (they don't carry the deodorant DS prefers), toothbrush heads and toothpaste, etc. TP and paper towels every other month, bottled water occasionally (40 pack for less than $3).

 

[stitch'sgirl]

We have both a Costco and a BJ's membership, but I prefer BJ's. IDK about your area, but both of the Costco near me are in areas that are poorly planned, traffic wise making a higher volume of traffic even worse than it really should be. I'm beginning to think they need to hire new engineers to plan their locations (ever single Costco I've ever visited has been a hot mess, traffic and parking wise).

The biggest advantage that BJ's has, in my eyes, is discounted Disney gift cards. They routinely are 4% off (I think) but if you watch your emails they run additional discounts, either % wise or $ off certain gift cards, Disney often being one. Most of the gift card discounts are online only, so don't expect the store to have the same special or even match it, they will not. If you do buy Disney gift cards, choose one with a set value and not the one where you choose the value- those are never discounted.

Thanks, I thought I had read about gift cards on the DCL forum but I couldn't remember the deal. I wonder if I will come out ahead or break even with the cost of membership.

 

[cluvsdisney]

We have a Costco and BJs membership and maintain them both for various reasons.

BJs has a majority has good prices on water, paper goods, cat littler (when we had a cat), and health & beauty stuff. I like their ground beef, pork chops & chicken breast. I like that they take various forms of payment, coupons and we get discounted gas. It’s also an easier to store to shop in...the easy parking, less crowded store, self check out lanes and lanes for 10 & 15 items or fewer.

Costco has great streaks and I like the other kinds of chicken from there Their fruit is good and they offer more organic and keto friendly foods. Their items seems to come in larger volumes which is good or bad depending on the item. They have a good photo department and we get a free additional driver when we rent a car from Alamo ( the main reason we joined). The biggest drawbacks for me are the weekend hours and that the 2 stores closest to me are absolute madhouses with non-ideal parking,

 

[gopher101]

better gift card selection

 

[C&Jx2]

Deli, baked goods, and produce. They have the best cookies!