How to Shop a Wholesale Club
By HBM and BJ’s Wholesale Club
The values consumers experience at wholesale clubs are more critical than ever. By incorporating shopping at a wholesale club into a sound savings plan, consumers can save an average of 30 percent over supermarket prices.* Achieving these kinds of savings might make the different in survival for a home home-based business owner.
“Prices on the everyday goods needed to power our lives have swelled,” said Laura Sen, President and Chief Operating Officer of BJ’s Wholesale Club. “We believe it’s vital for consumers to understand the value of shopping at a wholesale club and that this can help them save money on their total grocery bill.”
To help provide consumers with expert know-how that can assist them in maximizing their overall savings, BJ’s offers these eight helpful tips for shopping at a wholesale club:
Tip #1 – Compare Apples to Apples
When you are comparison shopping, make sure you are looking at the same item and taking into consideration differences in size or amount. Check the unit pricing — it’s the easiest way to make a comparison. Multi-packs and larger sizes are designed to offer valuable savings. Consider your storage options for every day items like toilet paper and napkins where it pays off to store the larger packs.
Tip #2 – Saving Money Doesn’t Mean Sacrificing Quality
As warehouse clubs offer top brands and the highest quality, families do not need to sacrifice their high standards to receive lower prices. Shoppers should seek a shopping environment in which they receive both quantity (bulk pricing) and quality (leading brands).
Tip #3 – Be a Type “A” Shopper and Carry a List
The most important strategy for saving is to plan family dinners and party menus before arriving at the club. If shoppers develop a list in advance, they should be able to focus more on their needs and less on impulse buys.
Tip #4 – Everything Under One Roof Saves Money
In today’s economy, having to travel to several locations to shop can cost a small fortune in gas and lengthen the time of errands. With gas approaching $4.00 a gallon, this is a critical consideration. Warehouse clubs solve this problem by offering everything under one roof, including groceries, gifts, and seasonal products, providing the convenience of one-stop shopping. Now shoppers will have no need to drive to several stores to find what they want.
Tip #5 – Bring Restaurant Favorites to Your Kitchen Table
As families choose to dine out less frequently, a convenient alternative is to serve your restaurant favorites at home. At many wholesale clubs like BJ’s, for example, members can choose from many restaurant branded items. With the convenience of heating and serving, these alternatives are less expensive than eating out and allow consumers to enjoy some of their favorite restaurants in the privacy of their own home. This also saves time, something important to a business owner under deadline.
Tip #6 – The Three B’s: Bulk, Babies and Budgets
Bulk buying can save consumers thousands of dollars each year. Non-perishable items can often be found at unbeatable prices in warehouse clubs. Parents of newborns and infants should also look to warehouse clubs that offer a full assortment of diaper brands and sizes, right down to infant diapers, and who stock other baby products such as detergents, formulas, and accessories.
Tip #7 – House Brands — Another Way To Save
It could be shrimp, fresh-baked cookies, prepared foods, frozen organic fruits and vegetables, shampoo, vitamins, juice, paper goods or linens for your home. A good wholesale club offers high-quality house brand items at savings comparable to brand-name items.
Tip #8 – Redeem Your Time, Rebates, and Coupons
Shoppers tired of saving receipts and searching for stamps should seek a warehouse club that takes the extra work out of rebate redemption. For example, some Warehouse clubs, such as BJ’s Wholesale Club, offer rebate centers that make using coupons and rebates easy.
“By offering consumers so many different avenues to save money in addition to these eight tips, we believe consumers will begin to better understand the savings and value they can receive when shopping at a wholesale club,” said Sen. “In tough economic times, finding ways to trim spending without sacrificing quality is something all consumers can identify with.” HBM
BJ’s Wholesale Club is dedicated to providing its members with high-quality, brand name food and merchandise at prices that are significantly lower than the prices found at supermarkets, supercenters, department stores, drug stores and specialty retail stores. The Company currently operates 177 clubs and 100 gas stations in 16 eastern states. Shop online or learn more about BJ’s Wholesale Club at www.bjs.com.
* Savings were up to 30 percent off supermarket prices based on the per unit price of a market basket of items and may vary based upon market area. Research conducted by Warehouse Club Focus.
