BJ's Wholesale to hike membership fees for first time in 7 years

Standard BJ's Wholesale membership will cost $60

The cost of a BJ’s Wholesale Club membership will get pricier in January.

The company plans to raise its standard membership for its warehouse stores to $60 per year and its premium Club+ membership to $120 beginning Jan. 1, BJ’s Wholesale said Thursday.

Those hikes — the first in seven years — represent increases of $5 and $10, respectively, from the memberships’ current prices. 

A BJ's Wholesale Club location in West Hartford, Connecticut, US, on Wednesday Aug. 14, 2024. BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. is scheduled to release earnings figures on August 22. Photographer: Joe Buglewicz/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A BJ's Wholesale Club location in West Hartford, Connecticut, on Aug. 14. (Joe Buglewicz/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

BJ'S WHOLESALE TO OPEN MORE LOCATIONS

"Since the last membership fee increase, the Company has transformed its business with a relentless focus on delivering value to members," BJ’s Wholesale said, adding that it will enable the retailer to "invest in an even stronger value proposition" for membership cardholders.

Ticker Security Last Change Change %
BJ BJS WHSL CLUB HLDGS INC 95.21 -1.09 -1.13%

The move also follows that of competitor Costco, which implemented its own increase in September.

COSTCO'S FIRST MEMBERSHIP FEE INCREASE IN 7 YEARS NOW IN EFFECT

BJ’s Wholesale said its membership count stood at 7.5 million at the end of the third quarter.

Its membership fees have brought BJ’s Wholesale nearly $339.49 million over the first three quarters of the year, including $114.98 million in the third-quarter. 

A BJ's Wholesale Club location in Manchester, Connecticut, US, on Wednesday Aug. 14, 2024. BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. is scheduled to release earnings figures on August 22. Photographer: Joe Buglewicz/Bloomberg via Getty Images

BJ’s Wholesale said its membership count stood at 7.5 million at the end of the third quarter. (Joe Buglewicz/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Membership fee income made up 2.1% of the $14.61 billion in total revenues that BJ’s Wholesale reported for the third-quarter. The company’s net sales, which clocked in at $14.3 billion, accounted for the vast majority. 

THE PERKS OFFERED TO COSTCO, BJ'S WHOLESALE AND SAM'S CLUB MEMBERS

The pricier Club+ membership comes with additional perks compared to the standard membership, including things like cashback rewards and fuel discounts. 

BJ’s Wholesale said two free same-day deliveries on eligible orders of at least $50 per membership period will become available to Club+ members in January.