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Merchandising

Merchandising

We are committed to serving our members and providing unbeatable value for quality goods. Many factors impact our sourcing, and we adhere to a vendor code of conduct. We strive to adhere to some guiding principles, while maintaining our value proposition for Smart Saving Families:

  • We are guided by science and experts. As new data emerges and situations change, we aim to adapt and adjust our policies.
  • We are responsible to our members, shareholders, suppliers, partners, and communities.
  • We will strive to amend, rather than avoid, issues through simple solutions that can be tested or executed in a relatively short period of time.

As a result, for private label products, we actively source sustainable raw materials where we can. We do not track percentage of total raw materials and we try to implement strategies to reduce the environmental impact of packaging.

We continue to focus on our sourcing efforts and on improving upon our standards, while maintaining our value proposition. In the future, we are looking to launch Animal Welfare and Human Rights programs, formally build a chemical management program and move towards reporting on GRI standards.

BJ's-Club-Exterior

An overview of our ongoing sustainability initiatives:

  • Palm Oil: We responsibly source palm oil. We do not mandate only RSPO certified palm oil as outlined by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. We are currently evaluating GreenPalm and options to sustainably source the product. Our responsible palm oil program is designed to limit deforestation and farmer displacement. We find this goal can be accomplished through other certifications, including Fair Trade Certified, which is a philosophy that we extend to many raw materials.
  • Organic/Non-GMO: We consistently look for opportunities to expand our organic portfolio, however there are some crop-based limitations that require us to cycle between conventional and organic at different times of the year. We use separate branding, such as a green Wellsley Farms logo, to differentiate organic products and only those carrying the USDA Organic seal are labeled as Wellesley Farms Organic. Lastly, we strive to implement strategies to reduce the environmental impact of packaging, specifically for our private label brands.
  • Pollinator Protection: BJ's was the first wholesale club to make and execute a commitment to remove neonicotinoids, a systemic agricultural insecticide resembling nicotine, from our clubs and our floral program. We also continue to work with our partners to find ways to combat habitat loss and increase pollinator management practices.
  • Animal Welfare Policy: The treatment of animals used as sources of proteins and animal products is a concern for many of our stakeholders. BJ’s Animal Welfare policy offers guidance to our vendors and merchants and sets forth our requirements for how animals should be treated in the provision of proteins and animal products. As a large volume buyer of proteins and animal products, it is our responsibility to work to ensure animals are treated humanely and without cruelty. Click here to view more details.
  • Cage-Free
  • BJ’s Wholesale Club is committed to continuous improvement and aspire to achieve the globally-recognized “Five Freedoms” of animal welfare for farm animals in our supply chain. To further this aspiration for our egg supply, we are working in partnership with our private label suppliers on a set of welfare priorities for laying hens. Welfare issues are complex and management is needed across a number of attributes.
  • In an effort to provide sustainable and high quality products for our customers, we adopt the following position on eggs in our supply chain:
  • We will require that 100% of our shell egg supply, indiscriminate of production system, be certified and fully compliant with United Egg Producers (UEP) Animal Husbandry Guidelines or equivalent standard. This includes, but is not limited to:
    • Only non-feed withdrawal molt methods permitted
    • Adherence to guidelines on beak trimming, handling and euthanasia
    • equirements for cage-free systems, as applicable, including:
      • An enriched environment including nests, perches and litter
      • Minimum space of 1.0 square foot per hen
  • In the first half of fiscal 2022, 51% of eggs sold in our clubs were from cage-free hens. By 2025 our goal is to transition to a 100% cage-free egg supply chain, subject to regulatory changes, consumer behavior and available supply. Our interim goals are 70% cage-free in fiscal 2023, and 80% cage-free in fiscal 2024. We will track and report on an annual basis the percentage of eggs that we sell that are cage-free.
  • We challenge our private label suppliers to use selective breeding, innovation and best management practices to improve the health and welfare of laying hens and help us reach our goals sooner.
  • We will track and report on an annual basis the percentage of eggs that we sell that are cage-free.
  • Seafood Sustainability Partnership
  • We have created our BJ’s Seafood Partnership, a program that recognizes the role that our partnership has with our environment, buyers, suppliers and members. Our goal is to continue to provide safe, quality seafood at an excellent value for years to come without compromise. We recognize that as a large volume buyer of seafood products, we are in a unique position to help protect our oceans and waterways and the seafood it provides us. We want to use the knowledge and technology of all our partners to make sure that we offer items that have the smallest impact on the long-term health of our water’s ecosystems. We are also committed to help ensure the workers supporting this industry are treated fairly and with transparency.
  • To help us reach our goals, we are committed to a strategy that promotes the long-term sustainability of seafood supplies by improving fisheries and fish farms. In developing this strategy, BJ’s is working with the non-profit organization, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP). They are helping us to evaluate our products and suppliers against the newest science and best industry practices.
  • In partnership with our suppliers, our goal is to help ensure they are doing what is right for the environment and, if necessary, help them get on the correct path. If, however, our suppliers are unable to make improvements after a reasonable time, we will seek out new suppliers.
  • We also use fisheries that create products that adhere to strong standards such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for wild captured seafood and Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) for aquaculture, or farmed, seafood. We are also in the process of transparency in the traceability of our seafood products to their source, while continuing to source from fisheries and fish farms that reduce the impact of fishing on other marine life and habitats.