BJ's Wholesale Club releases new app features

Dive Brief:

BJ's Wholesale Club has released new features on its app to simplify the consumer shopping experience, the company announced last week.
The BJ's app homepage now allows users to reorder their previous purchases, use digital coupons and access its delivery and pickup options. The retailer offers same-day delivery, buy online pick up in-store and curbside pickup, the company said.
Members can create grocery lists in the app, find local club locations, view BJ's Gas prices and check in to pick up a curbside order. The retailer also added an improved search and scan function, personalized product recommendations and enhanced navigation to find products and discounts, per the press release.

Dive Insight:

The rollout of new app features is the latest among a number of omnichannel initiatives BJ's Wholesale Club has made in recent years. Last October the company introduced curbside pickup services at all its 219 locations using the company's mobile app and included fresh and frozen groceries to its existing in-store pickup service.

BJ's redesigned and added more features to its app in September 2019 to allow users to see their yearly savings, local BJ's Gas prices and points they've earned in conjunction to the My BJ's Perks Program.

"The BJ's app is the easiest way to get the most out of your BJ's membership, from clipping coupons and tracking your savings to reordering your favorite items and discovering deals," Monica Schwartz, senior vice president and chief digital officer of BJ's Wholesale Club, said in the company's recent press release. "These exciting app features are the latest example of how we continue to invest in our digital experience and platforms to make it even more convenient to shop at BJ's."

So far, the retailer's omnichannel investments appear to have paid off. During an earnings call last August, the company said that its digital sales grew by more than 300%.

BJ's Wholesale Club is among other retailers that have updated their apps —or said they plan to roll them out — during the coronavirus pandemic. ShopRite revamped its deli counter mobile app by adding more items, like catering and food from the grill, and a custom cake builder. Meanwhile, Walmart is redoing 1,000 stores to make them app-enabled.