By JOHN HOWELL

Warwick can claim to be first in the country to have a “lunchbox” BJ’s.

 That’s how Peter Frangie, vice president of communications for the shopping club with six million members and 238 clubs in the northeast, characterizes the BJ’s Market that opened Friday in the former 50,000 square foot Toys “R” Us store next to the Midland Commons on East Avenue.

The store is half the size of the customary BJ’s. That didn’t happen by mistake.

The market is “strategically located,” said Frangie, between the Coventry and Johnston locations with easy access to Routes 295 and 95 and it has some high-tech features that its larger siblings don’t have…yet. Also, it doesn’t carry some of the merchandise such as electronics, tires and furniture found at the big box BJ’s. It is also another super market, albeit membership driven, with access to Route 2 and the city’s major retail corridor. Market Basket opened within the last year in the plaza including Best Buy and Home Depot. 

“It’s there for members who want to make a quick stop on their way to work or on the way home,” Frangie said. Being smaller, members needn’t walk as far to find what they want and get back on their way. Or, they needn’t come into the market at all. 

Like bigger stores, the market has curbside pickup. The difference is that the Warwick store was designed to incorporate the feature. An area with refrigerators lining one wall and plastic containers on the other gives out to a pickup location at the front of the building. When members place their orders on the BJ’s app their credit card charge is placed on hold until they make the pickup. Members can also use their cell phones to scan merchandise QR codes for in-store purchases and the express checkout lane dedicated for that purpose.

So, why would BJ’s open a third store in close proximity to two others? Frangie’s first answer is convenience and the second is to build membership in a densely populated area. Membership is $55 for the “inner circle” and $110 for “the credit card rate” that gives members a 2 percent cash back on most purchases.

Does the store carry any toys? After all Rhode Islanders are going to be referring to the store as “where Toys “R” Us used to be.”

Frangie laughed. No, you won’t find toys in this BJ’s although, like other BJ’s, it’s kid friendly.