Buying BJ’s Returns: What You Need to Know

BJ’s Wholesale Club is a membership-based warehouse store founded in 1984. Today, they have six million paid members and counting! The variety of product you can find at a BJ’s outside of grocery is worth mentioning, too. From furniture and apparel to electronics and household items—shoppers can find just about anything they’re looking for at BJ’s. And with such a big retailer comes the need to liquidate excess, customer returned, and warehouse inventory.

BJ’s Liquidation Auctions is the official marketplace where buyers can bid and buy liquidated inventory. Registered buyers can find auctions at great prices for groceries, appliances, electronics, home decor, office electronics, and more on the BJ’s Liquidation Auctions marketplace.

In this article, we go over BJ’s marketplace from top to bottom:

• Overview of the BJ’s marketplace
• What makes BJ’s inventory valuable
• How to start buying BJ’s returns pallets
• Reselling BJ’s returns

BJ’s Liquidation Auctions: An Overview

Types of inventory

BJ’s shoppers are interested in bulk goods, and for a good price. After all, that’s why the club membership exists. BJ’s returns inventory is equally diverse and discounted. Plus, once warehouse inventory is liquidated, it becomes available to any buyer. In fact, if you’re interested in testing the waters with different types of products before narrowing in on a niche, this marketplace would be a great choice.

So, what kind of BJ’s inventory ends up liquidated?

• Groceries
• General merchandise
• Home & living
• Small appliances
• Apparel
• Outdoor & sports
• Fitness equipment
• TVs
• Electronics

Registered business buyers can bid on Used-Fair Condition liquidation pallets of groceries, TVs, electronics, sundries, and general merchandise on the BJ’s Liquidation Auctions marketplace.

What makes BJ’s returns so valuable?

Well-known brand names

BJ’s carries thousands of brands in their clubs. If your customers are looking for electronics like Apple and Samsung products, BJ’s has it. If they’re looking for appliances like Whirlpool, BJ’s is on top of it. The benefit of having a variety of name-brand products all in one place is that eventually, they will get liquidated either as customer returns or overstock. Which means quality BJ’s Wholesale pallets are available to registered buyers on their official marketplace!

BJ’s return policy

BJ’s has a return policy that like most other retailers today, is on the flexible side. The BJ’s return policy states, “General merchandise (excluding electronics) must be in new condition with accessories intact. Returns are accepted within one year of purchase. We will not accept returns on non-grocery items purchased more than one year ago.” Other items like undamaged computers, electronics, and TVs have a 90-day return window, and damaged TVs, laptops, or tablets are returnable with their original packing and accessories within 14 days of receipt. This leaves a lot of room for returns and potential liquidation inventory.

Good value auctions

When you purchase inventory in bulk, your dollars end up going a lot further. For example, one auction can have $10,000 worth of merchandise—however, it is being liquidated at pennies on the dollar. Then, items acquired in bulk can be resold individually and closer to MSRP. For buyers looking to carry a little bit of everything, this is a great marketplace to do so.

What to know when purchasing BJ’s returns pallets:

How items are sold

Buyers can browse BJ’s auctions that interest them and place bids based on the retail value of the goods. The most important auction details will be listed in the auction title, for example, “12 Pallets of Small Appliances, Home Décor, Office Electronics & More, 239 Units, Used – Fair Condition, Ext. Retail $32,248, Uxbridge, MA” tells you the shipment type, inventory type, quantity, condition, estimated retail, and where it’s coming from.

For more information on how to read and understand an auction listing, check out The Anatomy of Liquidation Auctions.

Set your filters to the inventory you want

Filters allow you to sort through auctions that meet your criteria. You can search by Shipment Type, Current High Bids, City and State, and Condition. We’ll break down the importance of a few of these filters below.

Find the warehouse closest to you

Shipment type and location can be used to determine the best auction for you. The amount of miles your lot has to travel to get to you directly impacts the cost of shipping. You can currently find BJ’s liquidation auctions listed out of the following warehouse:

• Uxbridge, MA

Shipping will be binding, which means the cost will vary depending on a few different variables including zip code, weight, density, number of pallets, how many pallet spaces will be used during transport, and a few other factors. If you’re worried about your budget, take advantage of these ways to save on shipping costs.

Browse manifests and photos

Remember, customer returns can come in all shapes and sizes. Buyers should do their due diligence by reading through the manifest to see all items and their descriptions in the auction lot. Also, be mindful of stock photography versus actual photos of inventory. Please see stock photography examples below.

Product & packaging conditions

The BJ’s marketplace follows the same uniform product and packaging conditions as most B-Stock marketplaces. This gives interested buyers peace of mind when bidding and securing inventory on B-Stock’s liquidation marketplaces.

Also important to note are packaging conditions.

What size shipment are you able to purchase?

Lot sizes on the BJ’s Liquidation Auctions include truckloads and LTLs (less than truckloads). The standard pallet size is 48” x 40”. A truckload has 24 pallets and an LTL can be anywhere from one to 10 or 12. Consider that certain products may be bulkier than others, and require more space. So choose your auctions wisely!

Please note: Nearly all appliance auction deliveries will be floor-loaded; meaning, the inventory will not be shipped on pallets.

How to get started

You will need to register for BJ’s Liquidation Auctions in order to start bidding on bulk lots of groceries, TVs, electronics, sundries, and general merchandise.

To register, you will need to have a reseller certificate form to submit with your application. Once approved, you can immediately bid to win BJ’s auctions. If you do not currently have a reseller certificate but would like to learn more about how to apply for one, please read Buying Basics: Resale Certificates.

Calculate your costs

Make sure you get your formula down for how much you’re willing to bid for BJ’s returns and other liquidation inventory. With the help of the manifest, interested buyers can sort directly on the manifest page to see the most valuable items. Alternatively, you can also download the manifest and work directly in an Excel file to do your calculations. You should take into account the number of units, MSRP, and shipping costs. Fees for liftgates and residential addresses may also apply.

What to know when selling BJ’s returns:

Grocery and sell-by dates

Grocery buyers usually factor in a certain percentage for loss due to expired items when calculating the bidding amount, potential profits, shipping charges, etc. For items close to the sell-by date, it’s important to think about how fast you’ll be able to receive and move the inventory. If you receive items that are past the sell-by date, you’ll be responsible for disposing of them properly. Seasoned grocery buyers usually account for a small percentage of shrinkage per liquidated lot.

For more tips on grocery liquidation, head over to A Guide to Buying Grocery Liquidation.

Embrace variety

You should welcome the idea of offering more than just apparel or more than just electronics. When you have variety in your liquidation inventory (which BJ’s provides) you can cater to more than just one of your customers’ needs. Plus, it’s a good marketplace for if you’re interested in branching out into a new product category, like furniture or home & garden.

Test electronics before selling

For anything that might require batteries, make sure you’ve tested all items before selling. Check for any additional accessories, or charging cables, to ensure functionality. Your customers will appreciate knowing sooner rather than later if there are any missing pieces.

Start buying BJ’s returns today!

The BJ’s marketplace is a one-stop-shop for all your different product category needs, and at deep discounts, too! When you browse BJ’s returns auctions, you’re sure to find the deals you’re looking for. Simply submit a valid resale certificate and register on the BJ’s Liquidation Auctions marketplace today!