History
The company was started by Zayre, a discount department store chain, in 1984, on the Medford/Malden border in Massachusetts.
When Zayre sold their own nameplate to rival discount chain Ames, TJX Companies was formed. TJX spun off their warehouse division, consisting of BJ's and now defunct HomeClub (later known as HomeBase, then House2Home), to form Waban, Inc. Later, Waban spun off BJ's to become an independent company headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts.
The company's name is derived from Beverly Jean, the daughter of the first president of the new company. The name should not be confused with Berkley & Jensen, a private label brand name sold in their stores.
In 2011, BJ's was acquired by two private equity firms, Leonard Green & Partners and CVC Capital Partners.
Read more about this topic: BJ's Wholesale Club
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