The company was started by Zayre, a discount department store chain, in 1984, on the Medford/Malden border in Massachusetts. This was and still is the company's flagship store.
When Zayre sold their own nameplate to rival discount chain Ames, TJX Companies was formed. TJX spun off their warehouse division, consisting of BJ's and now defunct HomeClub (later known as HomeBase, then House2Home), to form Waban, Inc. Later, Waban spun off BJ's to become an independent company headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts.
The letters B and J stand for Beverly Jean, a daughter of one of the founders. The name should not be confused with Berkley & Jensen, a brand name sold in their stores.
In March, 2010 BJ's switched completely from TJX Companies to ADP. ADP now processes all employee payroll as well.
