OCALA, FL (352today.com) – BJ’s Wholesale Club, the members-only “warehouse retail” (bigger box?) chain founded in Massachusetts, made good on its January announcement that it was coming to Ocala with a groundbreaking event at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
The club will be located at 7030 SW 59th Ave., just west of I-75 and within the massive master-planned community Winding Oaks, named after the renowned cattle breeding farm, that used to occupy the land upon which it’s being built.
The Winding Oaks BJ’s will be the first in Ocala, though the brand does already have a club up and running at 13585 NE 86th Path in Lady Lake, right on 27/441 and handily adjacent to The Villages.
Founded in 1984, BJ’s Wholesale boasts more than 250 clubs, most in eastern states, the South and the Midwest. The Ocala location is part of a “new next wave” of locations breaking ground and opening in places like Frankfort, KY and Portage, IN, as well as two more Florida clubs in Lecanto and Port St. Lucie. The simultaneous expansion is in keeping with the company’s strategy of steadily opening 25-30 new clubs over every two-year period.
“We are committed to growing our footprint in both new and existing markets to bring the value of a BJ’s Wholesale Club to even more members,” said Bill Werner, executive vice president, Strategy and Development, said in a release. “Coming off the strong results of our 2025 openings, the team is excited to execute on our 2026 class, deliver value and take care of the families who depend on us in these communities.”
No word yet on when folks will be able to join up and get a full-sized sectional, boat battery, kiwis, bath towels and a kayak at the same place, but it shouldn’t be too long.