| In the 1980s a phenomenon began to take hold in | | | | "Men's Daily" vitamins and the price was |
| the retail industry: wholesale [or warehouse] clubs. | | | | approximately 30% lower than the name brand |
| These 'big box' retailers are dotting the American | | | | competitor. You can find the Berkley and Jensen |
| landscape and offer something beyond what the | | | | name on a variety of products including gourmet |
| typical Wal-Mart, Target, or Kmart have: large | | | | foods, specialty imports, dry goods, clothing, |
| packaged items at nicely discounted prices. Currently, | | | | cookware, etc. |
| Costco's, Sam's Club, and BJs dominate the market. | | | | There are many other areas in which you will save |
| Recently, my family joined BJ's and I will share with | | | | big at BJ's. Their selection of books is good and they |
| you why I think their business is a success story. | | | | carry many of the current bestsellers at prices that |
| When we moved to the Raleigh, North Carolina area | | | | Barnes and Noble or Borders can only dream about. |
| from New Jersey in 2004, we knew that the retail | | | | You can save plenty of money shopping their optical |
| market -- including supermarkets and discount stores | | | | or automotive department -- I guess I won't be |
| -- was strong. Within a two mile radius of where we | | | | going back to Jiffy Lube anymore - and I have |
| live we counted at least a half a dozen supermarkets | | | | noticed some great discounts on vacation packages. |
| and each of the big three discounters, Wal-Mart, | | | | Our Cary club also has a gas station for members. |
| Target, and Kmart, were present. Certainly, our | | | | Gas discounts generally run about ten cents per |
| choice of stores was in the abundant category. | | | | gallon and that quickly adds up especially in this day |
| Initially, little thought was given by us to joining a | | | | of elevated fuel prices. Not all BJ's have gas stations, |
| wholesale club, but a mailing received in our home | | | | but it is a nice bonus for members where available. |
| from BJ's caught our attention. We knew that Sam's | | | | Is the environment perfect? No, of course not. One |
| Club was also located in our town, while the closest | | | | area of disappointment is their personal computers - |
| Costco was in Durham -- a thirty minute trek. Thus, | | | | the laptops at their Cary location are hidden in a |
| our consideration to join would have only been | | | | locked cage behind the main desk. When I asked the |
| between BJ's and Sam's Club. So, what was the | | | | supervisor about the missing laptops - one had been |
| deciding factor? Two free months of introductory | | | | on display two months earlier - she cheerfully |
| membership! Yes, we "fell" for it. | | | | explained that they did not have the room to display |
| Within a day or two I took my family to the nearest | | | | a laptop. Huh?! With plenty of desktop computers on |
| BJ's, in Cary, and marched up to the help desk. | | | | display one would think that some room could be |
| Although the cheerful woman working behind the | | | | made - I wondered if the real reason was theft. |
| desk attempted to persuade us to sign up | | | | Since my arms already were full of checked out |
| immediately for a discounted and extended (15 | | | | items I did not want to go to a cage to view |
| months) one year membership, we told her that we | | | | computers. Cages are for zoo animals while |
| were not familiar with the store and wanted to use | | | | computers, especially if you really want to sell them, |
| the two free months to get to know the place and | | | | ought to be out on full display. |
| to see if what they sold was what we wanted. She | | | | For the most part, the personnel working at the Cary |
| understood as she snapped my picture and handed | | | | location are very friendly and helpful. This differed |
| my club membership card to me. | | | | sharply from one of the competing clubs we |
| It took only the first visit for us to realize we liked | | | | belonged to while living in New Jersey a few years |
| BJ's. My wife and I joked at the colossal sizes of | | | | back. Of course, we make sure that we shop at the |
| some of the items -- get a look at this five pound | | | | slowest possible time of the day and we check out |
| can of tuna! -- but, in the end, we found enough | | | | our own items. Occasionally, the scanner will give you |
| items suitable for our family -- particularly dry goods | | | | an 'attitude' and claim that you didn't scan something |
| -- that we realized our membership would pay for | | | | properly but that is usually quickly resolved by a |
| itself within our first two visits. | | | | roving clerk who comes by to rectify problems. |
| If you are familiar with wholesale clubs, you know | | | | All in all, I give BJ's high marks. We have since |
| that they carry just about everything. BJ's is the | | | | converted our trial membership to a full membership |
| same way and we were impressed by the variety | | | | and are looking forward to receiving great savings |
| and amount of items available. Additionally, BJs' own | | | | and a having a continued good shopping experience. |
| line of products -- Berkley and Jensen -- is a nice | | | | Now, if BJ's would only put their laptops back out on |
| alternative for even greater savings. I purchased the | | | | full display... |