BJ's Wholesale Club to Host 'Open House' Event, Invites Community to Shop

Bob Edwards June 28, 2012 at 01:12 pm

I think it's great that BJ's is providing a better experience for the community. Competition is good for everyone including existing stores because it keeps prices low and give the consumer better selection. When Costco comes to town there will be better prices and selection for all Yorktown residents. Take note high priced A&P!

Evan Bray June 28, 2012 at 01:29 pm

I don't think it's so much that they are providing a better experience, but rather trying to get more people to join BJ's by having a period where no member card is required. It's kind of like how drug dealers give you a free sample to get you hooked. I agree competition is good. Thankfully there are a couple Costcos only about 30mins away and people have a choice between BJ's and the far, far superior Costco.
Hopefully the town board will adhere to the vision laid out in the Yorktown Comprehensive Plan for this area and we won't get "boxed in" (literally) with another enormous wholesaler. I feel it's completely incongruent with the YCP and we deserve better. Looking forward to the public debate in September when we have much more information like the draft Environmental Impact Statement and the results of the traffic study. Mmmmmm...environmental and traffic studies. Until we have documents like that to review, it's a folly to assume Costco will be coming to town at all.

Bob Edwards June 28, 2012 at 01:47 pm

It is quite silly to refer to BJ's as a "drug dealer". Retailers often have promotions to get customers to shop at their stores but that does not mean they are "drug dealers" who want to get you hooked. It's called competition and it is what made this country great. Yorktown deserves better shopping right here and not 30 minuthes away.
I reference the poll conducted on Patch that shows the majority of Yorktown residents will welcome Costco.

Dee June 28, 2012 at 02:22 pm

I do not think they are trying to give shoppers a better experience and I do nt think they are necessarily trying to get them to join. It is strategic planning. The "Open House" just so happens to be right before and during the 4th of July Holiday. They want people to do all their holiday and barbque shopping at their store versus the supermarkets in the area. It could benefit the people who are having big celebrations who do not have a memebership because any other time of the year they do not need to shop in bulk. They are just simply trying to take some money from the competition before the real competition starts(when or if cosco's opens.)

Evan Bray June 28, 2012 at 02:25 pm

I wasn't referring to BJ's as a drug dealer. That would be silly. I was drawing a comparison to the practice of giving someone a taste in hopes that they will be converted to a usual customer. That's how drug dealers work, or at least how they are represented in the movies.
That polls decidedly not accurate; people can vote multiple times and there was ballot stuffing. Not a single facebook patch reader (a forum where people HAVE to use their REAL names) was in support of the Costco. I was reading an unrelated article and look at the first comment. I agree with "JM." http://yorktown.patch.com/blog_posts/a-pox-on-your-tax#comments I'm excited to meet all the adamant Costco supporters at the town and planning board meetings coming up this fall. I'm guessing we'll finally get to meet in person, right Mr. Edwards? I can't imagine you won't be attending to voice support for the proposal. That's the only "poll" that carries any water with the Town and Planning boards. Real residents' opinions as represented in the application file in writing and oral opinions given during public hearings. Not an internet poll that can be manipulated.

Evan Bray June 28, 2012 at 02:28 pm

Good call, Dee. That makes perfect sense to time it with the 4th for bbq supplies and whatnot. You should be in marketing! I'm curious what your position is on the Costco.

Bob Edwards June 28, 2012 at 04:02 pm

If the poll had not been in favor of Costco I'm quite sure that you would have brought it up many time with no mention of "ballot box stuffing". Yes, if I am able, I will
attend and will voice my suppot for Costco, road improvements and the general need for this community to move foward and not take a negative view of any and all development.

Dee June 28, 2012 at 04:35 pm

Thanks Mr. Bray! I've always wanted to be in marketing it just seems so simple to me. As for Costco I honestly do not know where I stand becauseI am not a frequent shopper of any of the stores because I do not have a family that I need to feed.
But I would love to see how the competition between the 2 would play out. I really do not think it would be too much of a bad thing for either stores if they are up to the challenge of competing with each other for customers. I think it would drive Bj's and Costco's to have more sales and better sales on their products.

Evan Bray June 28, 2012 at 05:43 pm

Thanks for your opinion (and marketing insight), Dee. I agree with you on the competition. I'm worried about the planning aspects though. 202 is basically a 2 lane road and the improvements they are proposing won't offset the new traffic. I'd like to see something more inline with the vision laid out in the Yorktown Comprehensive Plan which calls for a mix of business, residential and commercial uses for that site.
Thanks again for you input and I hope you stay tuned.

Bill June 28, 2012 at 07:18 pm

For the record, this is a chain-wide promotion and has nothing to do with their future competition from Costco. Sending out the press release to Patch may be related or it may be something they did everywhere. Free advertising is always good.
I think it's a good thing because people who think "I never would want to shop at a bulk store like that" can go see that it's not all about bulk purchases and they sell many things other than 10 pound bags of flour. Most people do not realize that you actually do not need to be a member to shop at BJ's at any time, but they do normally add an extra 15% for non-members (which means for infrequent shoppers, it can be cheaper than buying a membership).

Bill June 28, 2012 at 07:22 pm

They are clearly doing this because they want people to join. They want people like you who are under the misguided impression that they're all about bulk purchases to go in and see what they really sell. Please go and then come back and tell us if you still thing that all they sell is bulk items.

Dee June 28, 2012 at 08:00 pm

@Bill I have been to Bj's and Costco's a number of times and I know they sell more than just 10lbs bags of flour. But for me the BJ's/Costco experience is not really worth it. I am a single person living alone so most of the items there are just too much for me. Yes they do sell tv's, tires, books, etc. but why get it there to either pay for a memembership when i could get those same things from another store that does not require me to pay for memebership and do not charge more for people who are non-memembers.

Evan Bray June 29, 2012 at 12:44 am

I don't think anyone has said they won't shop at a big box wholesaler. In fact, I've pointed out numerous times my family shops at BJ's. I do think it's a town planning issue and that putting a second big box wholesaler, directly across the street from a 2 lane road that is already over trafficked, is a terrible planning decision. The Yorktown Comprehensive Plan clearly lays out a different vision for this part of town.
So, in summary, we're all in agreement. Everything in moderation. We have a great big box wholesaler in Yorktown and have access to several Costcos within 30 minutes of here. We want to develop the land in conformance with the laws (e.g. the YCP) that Yorktown adopted in 2010.