01/06/2025 19:53
BIG Lots is making a big comeback following its bankruptcy filing last fall, slated to soon reopen 78 locations across nine states.
The stores are prepping to reopen their doors in just days on June 5 under a new business owner, who rescued the discount brand when it purchased the rights to hundreds of Big Lots stores.
Big Lots is undergoing a major turnaround after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last September.
The discount giant originally announced plans to shut down nearly all of its stores, but was handed a second chance when Variety Wholesalers acquired 219 Big Lots locations.
The company, which operates other discount chains such as Bargain Town and Roses Discount, has already opened over 100 Big Lots stores under the original banner.
Variety Wholesalers reopened nine spots in April across Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
The company then turned on the lights at 132 stores in May, bringing Big Lots’ iconic treasure hunt back to budget buyers across the country.
Variety Wholesalers is keeping its foot on the gas, plotting to reopen more Big Lots stores in just days.
Shoppers across nine states will see 78 Big Lots locations open their doors once again on June 5.
North Carolina customers will see the biggest number of revived Big Lots spots, at 22.
Fans in Ohio will also see a major Big Lots turnaround, with 13 stores slated to reopen this coming week, and Pennsylvania customers will see 11 locations resume operations.
The impending reopenings mark the fourth wave of stores that Variety Wholesalers is reviving, bringing the formerly bankrupt discount chain’s footprint to over 200 stores.
This is just a fraction of the over 1,300 Big Lots stores that were open around this time in 2024.
Variety Wholesalers plans to host grand opening celebrations for its newly reopened stores in the fall.
BIG FALL
Although Big Lots has seen a major hit to its store count since its bankruptcy filing last fall, the reopenings mark a major comeback for the discount chain.
The company filed for Chapter 11 in September 2024, citing factors such as high inflation rates, a drop in home goods sales, and shifting consumer behavior as shoppers spent their dollars elsewhere.
Big Lots stores reopening on June 5
Variety Wholesalers, a leading discount retailer, has set out to soon reopen 78 of the Big Lots stores it acquired.
Florida
- Brandon: 843 West Bloomingdale Avenue
- Fort Myers: 4901 Palm Beach Boulevard Unit 27B
- Milton: 6247 Highway 90
- North Fort Myers: 13970 N. Cleveland Avenue
- Ruskin: 3048 State Road 674
- Spring Hill: 2384 Commercial Way
- St. Cloud: 3401 13th Street, #100
Georgia
- Covington: 3111 Highway 278 NW
- LaGrange: 127 Commerce Avenue
- Statesboro: Highway 80 & Lester Street
Kentucky
- Bowling Green: 3000 Scottsville Road
North Carolina
- Aberdeen: 1377 Sandhills Boulevard North
- Albermarle: 7201-C 24/27/Bypass E
- Concord: 280 Concord Parkway N
- Franklin: 273 Franklin Park
- Fuquay-Varina: 630 Lakestone Commons Avenue
- High Point: 1677 Westchester Drive
- High Point: 2531 Eastchester Drive
- Jacksonville: 1110 Western Boulevard
- Kannapolis: 950 S. Cannon Boulevard, Suite A
- Laurinburg: 1664 S Main St
- Lumberton: 2750c North Roberts Avenue
- Morehead City: 2900 Arendell Street, Suite 19
- Morganton: 1251 Burkemont Avenue
- Murphy: 1450 Andrews Road
- New Bern: 520 Berne Square Shopping Center
- Salisbury: 711 East Innes Street
- Sanford: 2950 South Horner Boulevard
- Shallotte: 4600 Main Street
- Spindale: 2016 Hwy 74A
- Waynesville: 1176 Russ Avenue
- Weaverville: 130 Weaver Boulevard
- Wilmington: 6832 Market Street
Ohio
- Akron: 1890 West Market Street
- Akron: 426 East Waterloo Road
- Barberton: 241 W Wooster Rd
- Canton: 1336 Whipple Avenue, NW
- Cincinnati: 3640 Werk Road
- Cuyahoga Falls: 405 Howe Avenue
- Gallipolis: 400 Silver Bridge Plaza
- Garfield Heights: 12588 Rockside Road
- Harrison: 10560 Harrison Avenue
- Marietta: 110 South 7th Street
- Mentor: 8489 Market Street
- South Point: 367 County Road 406, Suite B
- Wheelersburg: 9025 Ohio River Road
Pennsylvania
- East Rochester: 750 Ohio River Boulevard
- Ephrata: 389 N. Reading Road
- Fairless Hills: 500 Lincoln Highway (Route 1)
- Greensburg: 6041 State Route 30 Suite 20
- Hanover: 1150 Carlisle Street
- Indiana: 2444 Philadelphia Street
- Johnstown: Scalp Avenue & Route 219
- Pittsburgh: 4717 McKnight Road
- Pittsburgh: 11628 Penn Hills Drive
- Washington: 254 Oak Springs Road
- York: 2140 White Street
South Carolina
- Beaufort: 328 Robert Smalls Parkway
- Columbia: 9221 Two Notch Road
- Columbia: 6169 St. Andrews Road
- Conway: 1641 Church Street
- Goose Creek: 431 St. James Avenue, Unit B
- Lancaster: 1206 Highway 9 Bypass
- Moncks Corner: 1013 Old Highway 52
- Myrtle Beach: 1370 South Kings Highway
- North Myrtle Beach: 710 Highway 17 South, Suite B
- Summerville: 10150 Dorchester Road
Tennessee
- Chattanooga: 3901 Hixson Pike Suite 157
- Columbia: 1301 S James Campbell Boulevard
- Cookeville: 633 S Jefferson Avenue
- Kingsport: 1913 Sherwood Road
- Rockwood: 1496 N. Gateway Avenue
Virginia
- Chesapeake: 1971 Military Highway South
- Hampton: 2318 West Mercury Boulevard
- Norfolk: 1851 E. Little Creek Road
- Richlands: 180 Kents Ridge Road
- Vinton: 1090 Bypass Road
- Williamsburg: 6610 Mooretown Road
Source: The Hill
Big Lots saw a beacon of hope when the company Nexus Capital Management was supposed to acquire the chain’s assets and business operations, pulling it out of bankruptcy.
However, the deal ultimately was not executed, with Big Lots announcing liquidation sales and plans to shut down its remaining stores.
Big Lots was then given a second chance, reaching a deal to sell between 200 and 400 locations to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners under the agreement that Variety Wholesalers would acquire and reopen them, maintaining the Big Lots branding.
Under the new ownership, Big Lots customers will see a renewed focus on affordable goods in areas where budget retail is in high demand.
Several other Big Lots stores that will not be reopened have been acquired and are set to transition into other big retail names.
For example, in March, a beloved discount chain similar to Big Lots revealed that it had acquired 15 locations.
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet also acquired 40 Big Lots stores in March.
BRANDS HARD HIT BY BANKRUPTCIES
Many chains have struggled to adapt to a post-Covid retail landscape, with several companies filing for bankruptcy
JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts announced it would close all 800 stores after filing for bankruptcy twice in a year.
Hooters announced plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February.
Liberated Brands announced that it would be closing all 122 retail locations for its boardsport fashion brands Quiksilver, Billabong, and Volcom.
Forever 21 shut down its headquarters after filing for bankruptcy and laying off 358 employees.
Macy’s announced major restructuring plans amid mass store closures.