Is BJ's Wholesale Club owned by Walmart or Costco?

No. BJ's is an independent company owned by its public shareholders under BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc., NYSE: BJ. It competes with Sam's Club, which Walmart owns, and Costco, which is also independent.

How much does BJ's membership cost?

A Club membership costs $60 per year and a Club+ membership costs $120 per year, rates effective since January 1, 2025. Club+ adds 2% cashback on most purchases and expanded same-day delivery benefits.

Retail & E-commerce

Who Owns BJ's Wholesale Club?

Q: When was BJ's founded?

The first BJ's opened in 1984 in Medford, Massachusetts, created by Zayre Corporation. The company became independent in 1997, went private from 2011 to 2018, and re-listed on the NYSE in June 2018.

Q: How many BJ's clubs are there?

As of late fiscal 2026, approximately 267 clubs plus 206 BJ's Gas stations across 22 states, with new openings concentrated in the Southeast and Texas.

BJ's Wholesale Club is the flagship banner of BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: BJ), a publicly traded membership warehouse retailer headquartered in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Founded in 1984 by Zayre Corporation, the chain operates approximately 267 clubs and 206 gas stations across 22 states, primarily on the U.S. East Coast. Fiscal 2025 revenue was $21.46 billion and membership exceeded 8.5 million.

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Parent Company

BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.

Founded

1984

Status

Publicly Traded

Headquarters

Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA

mid rangemass marketUnited StatesOfficial Website

Who Owns BJ's Wholesale Club?

Parent Company: BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.
Ownership Type: Subsidiary
Company Type: Publicly Traded
Stock Ticker: NYSE: BJ

Brand	Parent Company	Ownership Type
BJ's Wholesale Club	BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.	Subsidiary

History of BJ's Wholesale Club

Founded: 1984
Founders: Zayre Corporation (internal development)

Zayre Corporation opened the first BJ's Wholesale Club in Medford, Massachusetts in 1984, naming it for Beverly Jean Weich, daughter of Zayre president Mervyn Weich. The timing placed BJ's as the first warehouse club on the East Coast, arriving before Costco or Sam's Club had reached the region.

Corporate restructuring defined the next decade. When Zayre sold its department stores and reorganized in 1989, BJ's landed in a new holding company, Waban Inc., alongside HomeBase hardware stores. Waban spun BJ's off as a standalone public company in 1997, and the chain spent the 2000s expanding down the East Coast into New York, New Jersey, and Florida.

Private equity owned the chain from 2011 to 2018. CVC and Leonard Green's $2.8 billion buyout funded club remodels, a push into fresh grocery, and the expansion of the Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen private labels that now drive a quarter of merchandise sales. The 2018 IPO at $17 per share returned BJ's to the NYSE.

The pandemic transformed the business. Comparable sales and membership surged as consumers bought in bulk, and unlike many pandemic winners, BJ's kept the gains. Membership passed 8 million, the tenured renewal rate hit 90%, and the chain began its fastest expansion in decades, entering the Southeast and Texas. Membership fees rose in January 2025 for the first time in seven years. As of late 2026 the company operates about 267 clubs in 22 states with roughly 8.5 million members.

About BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.

Is BJ's Wholesale Club publicly traded?

Yes. BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BJ. The company re-entered public markets in June 2018 after seven years of private equity ownership under CVC Capital Partners and Leonard Green and Partners.