IBX “By Interstate” ? What’s IBX? BJ’s

[Zack1978]

Hi everyone,

I need to purchase a few batteries in the very near future.

My go for over twenty years was Costco for Interstate batteries. However recently Costco changed their warranty policy so I’m looking elsewhere.

I also have a BJ’s membership and they sell batteries as well. They used to sell Excide batteries, but recently they switched to “IBX by Interstate”. The BJ’s warranty is better than Costco because it’s thirty months of free replacement as opposed to thirty-six months of pro rated warranty.

What is the “IBX” part? Who is IBX?
Has anyone ever tried a BJ’s battery?

IBX available at BJs

www.interstatebatteries.com

Thank you

 

[fantastic]

Hi everyone,

I need to purchase a few batteries in the very near future.

My go for over twenty years was Costco for Interstate batteries. However recently Costco changed their warranty policy so I’m looking elsewhere.

I also have a BJ’s membership and they sell batteries as well. They used to sell Excide batteries, but recently they switched to “IBX by Interstate”. The BJ’s warranty is better than Costco because it’s thirty months of free replacement as opposed to thirty-six months of pro rated warranty.

What is the “IBX” part? Who is IBX?
Has anyone ever tried a BJ’s battery?

IBX available at BJs

www.interstatebatteries.com

Thank you

Interstate I don't believe makes any batteries. They source them from other builders. IBX probably stands for Interstate Battery but not sure what x means "Series" maybe?

 

[Slick3914]

I don’t know for sure but they are likely the same batteries, just with different branding.

 

[skyactiv]

Useful link https://www.interstatebatteries.com/support/warranty
with Interstate battery warranty details in an easy to read chart. It varies by model.

Keep in mind buying a battery is like buying a mattress. The same Sealy mattress at Macys might be called Ravenwood while at Costco it could be sold as a Sealy Driftwood.

 

[mrsilv04]

I would assume it is so they don't have to go directly head to head against Interstate retailers, with the same exact product.

Goodyear sells "Reliant" tires to Wal Mart, but Goodyear dealers don't sell "Reliant". Goodyear dealers sell the "Assurance" line. This way, they're selling a different product. How different? Who knows.

 

[CharBaby]

Probably eXtra

 

[eljefino]

It's a normal battery but marketed by Elian Musk.

Warranty service will be exclusively BJs, not Interstate dealers coast-to-coast.

 

[Tdbo]

It's nothing more than a label.
They could stick a label on then, calling them "Supercrank." It would amount to the same thing.
They are doing what Costco is. Purchasing the batteries from Interstate, sans warranty, and servicing the warranty themselves.
If it dies, you can only return to BJ's. Interstate, at that point, has nothing to do with the battery.
Actually makes the Interstate branding pointless. Because Interstate never made a battery in its existence. They merely market them.

 

[f355spider]

Would agree with the others here, IBX is simply a private label brand produced by Interstate for BJs wholesale.
The purpose of private label branding is to reduce comparison shopping based on price by convincing the customer it is not directly comparable. Sometimes the products are otherwise identical, sometimes certain features or performance values are changed.

Many years ago, I worked for Duracell and we made the Kirkland Signature batteries. We were told they were identical to the familiar coppertop batteries as it was more expensive to change the line to make them differently and there were concerns with unintended consequences of changing the formula or chemistry for the private label products.

I think Duracell only makes the Kirkland Signature private label anymore as all the others they made for hardware chains (ACE, True Value, Coast to Coast) and drug store chains all went to off shore suppliers in China, Malaysia and Singapore in the past 15 years.

 

[14Accent]

Sounds a lot like the "Manufactured exclusively for John Deere" stickers on some of the engines in our mowers. Highly unlikely that B&S has a special assembly line JUST for JD's engines vs. everyone else's, but putting a green sticker on one makes people think they're getting something special.