BJ's Wholesale Club has proposed a massive new warehouse store outside Columbus, Ohio, a move that would deepen the company's Central Ohio footprint and intensify competition with Sam's Club and Costco.
The retailer wants to build a 104,470-square-foot warehouse on roughly 18 acres along Stringtown Road in Grove City, a suburb south of Columbus. The proposal includes an 18-pump gas station, a restaurant, and a drive-thru, The Sun reported, citing Columbus Business First. The site sits near existing Walmart and Target locations, placing BJ's squarely in a retail corridor already drawing heavy foot traffic.
If approved, the Grove City location would become BJ's third warehouse in Central Ohio. The company already operates stores in New Albany and Lewis Center, two communities on the region's north side. A third club to the south would give BJ's coverage across the Columbus metro area, a market that has attracted steady population and commercial growth in recent years.
The project still needs final approval from Grove City officials. The specific approval body, whether a city council vote, a planning commission review, or a zoning board hearing, has not been disclosed publicly. No timeline for a decision or a potential opening date has been announced.
BJ's has not released a public statement confirming the proposal or detailing its plans for the restaurant and drive-thru components. Whether the restaurant would operate as a sit-down dining option, a fast-food counter, or something else remains unclear. The same goes for the drive-thru, it could serve the restaurant or function as a separate pickup facility for online orders.
Land ownership details for the 18-acre parcel have not surfaced, and no purchase or lease terms are public.
BJ's push into Grove City fits a broader pattern. The warehouse club sector has been expanding aggressively even as legacy department stores and mall-based retailers continue to shrink. Discount retailers have been opening locations by the hundreds across the country, defying years of predictions about a so-called retail apocalypse.
BJ's chief rivals are doing the same. Sam's Club, the Walmart-owned warehouse chain, has been planting flags in new markets. The company recently announced a 160,000-square-foot store in Texas as part of its own expansion push.
Costco, the largest warehouse club by revenue, has kept pace. The chain has been opening new warehouses across multiple states in rapid succession.
The three-way competition extends beyond square footage. Sam's Club and Costco have sparred over everything from membership perks to product quality, even rotisserie chicken rankings. BJ's, the smaller of the three national chains, has carved out a niche on the East Coast and in parts of the Midwest, and the Grove City proposal signals the company sees room to grow in markets its bigger rivals already occupy.
The restaurant and drive-thru stand out. Most warehouse clubs offer food courts or snack bars inside the store, but a full restaurant with a drive-thru attached to a membership warehouse is unusual. If Grove City approves the plan, BJ's would be offering something its competitors in the area do not, a feature that could pull in shoppers looking for more than bulk paper towels and frozen shrimp.
For those curious about the company itself, BJ's Wholesale Club has a history that sets it apart from the Costco and Sam's Club mold, having built its brand primarily in the northeastern United States before pushing into new territory.
An 18-pump gas station is another draw. Warehouse club fuel stations have become a major selling point for members, often offering prices well below nearby competitors. Eighteen pumps suggest BJ's expects serious volume at the Grove City site.
Grove City residents and local officials now hold the cards. The approval process will determine whether BJ's plants its flag on Stringtown Road, and whether Columbus-area shoppers get another option in a warehouse club market that keeps getting more crowded.
Competition is good for consumers. The more these warehouse giants build, expand, and fight for members, the better the deals on the other side of the membership card.