BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.

A potential acquisition could give Amazon some leverage as it expands its brick-and-mortar presence.   BJ’s Wholesale Club is putting itself up for sale, and Amazon has expressed modest internal interest in the chain, according to The New York Post.  BJ’s, which was once a public company, was bought for $2.8 billion by private equity firms Leonard Green & Partners and CVC Capital Partners in 2011.   

BJ’s Wholesale Club could see a change in ownership.   The company’s private equity owners, Leonard Green & Partners and CVS Capital Partners Ltd., are hiring investment bankers to advise them on options, reported the Wall Street Journal.   The two buyout firms acquired BJ’s in 2011 for approximately $3 billion. The retailer, which is based in Westborough, Massachusetts, operates 213 stores and 130 BJ's Gas locations 15 states.    

BJ’s Wholesale Club is knee-deep in a company-wide initiative to add processes that allow it to operate more efficiently.   It has taken a major step by partnering with Glory Global Solutions to roll out cash automation solutions across its 200-plus-club chain. As cash still accounts for around 30% of consumer transactions in the U.S., it remains extremely important to retailer margins. However, the process of moving money is complex.   

Just in time for holiday entertaining, BJ’s Wholesale Club members can now place deli and bakery orders online.   The service, which augments BJ’s e-commerce program, enables members to place orders for deli platters, sandwiches and 3-ft. subs, freshly baked cookies, pastries and customizable cakes and cupcakes. All merchandise is provided by Wellsley Farms, according to the retailer’s website.  

Accruent, a leading global provider of real estate, facilities and asset management solutions, has acquired Verisae, a provider of cloud-based solutions that connect facilities and assets to the maintenance and service network through the Internet of Things (IoT).  

Shopping online shouldn’t be an overwhelming task.   To help its members better navigate its digital club experience, BJ’s Wholesale Club enhanced its online and mobile shopping sites with streamlined membership processes, enhanced search and navigation features, and an improved online assortment.   

With few new grocery centers being built, developers are upping the ante on existing ones

Pat Donahue, together with his late brother Dan and business partner Tom Schriber, has been in grocery-anchored shopping centers since the ’90s. That’s when Schriber calculated that the company’s long-term fortunes, which had rested on mall development up until then, would be better wagered on high-traffic “necessity-based” retail.

“At malls you get ’em three times a month.

BJ’s Wholesale Club has selected CommerceHub’s unified platform to bolster its online assortment, fulfillment and delivery.    “We’re committed to delivering uncompromising value to our Members, and CommerceHub is a strong partner,” said Jackie Cunningham, VP of e-commerce at BJ’s Wholesale Club, which operates 213 stores in 15 states.