The popular discount chain, Big Lots, has not been faring well in recent years with the rising cost of goods and inflation that does not seem to be relenting, sales have been down. As such, the retailer was compelled to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and court documents later revealed that the company had debt amounting to $3.1 billion to between 5,000 and 10,000 creditors.
Is this the end for Big Lots?
Chapter 11 protection is more of a company restructuring rather than a complete end to operations. The retailer filed last September and has since been closing down its underperforming stores. After its filing, the company has placed hundred of its stores on sale and is seeking assistance from Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, a Boston-based asset liquidation firm as it navigates this process.
Since then, two hundred stores across the country have been bought over by Variety Wholesalers who will continue to run the stores under the Big Lots name.
The discount retailer has also suffered a loss in sales of as much as $114.5 million in a one year period from 2023 to 2024. In this regard, Big Lots CEO Bruce Thorn stated, “Though the majority of our store locations are profitable, we intend to move forward with a more focused footprint to ensure that we operate efficiently and are best positioned to serve our customers.”
In terms of future plans, or plans for 2025 at the very least, Big Lots has shared that shoppers can look forward to a more “focused” shopping experience. “Those still shopping at Big Lots should see better merchandise selection and improved pricing strategies as they refocus on what made them successful in the first place: being the go-to destination for extreme bargains,” Michael Ryan, a finance expert and the founder of MichaelRyanMoney.com shared.
Physical stores have been struggling to bounce back from the effects of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions. Online shopping reached a peak during those times and a preference for it has persisted on throughout the years till today. This issue has been a significant contributor to the struggles faced, not only by Big Lots, but the retail sector as a whole.
Big Lots stores that will remain open
Prior to their financial troubles, Big Lots had close to 900 stores in operation.
Below is the list of Big Lots stores that will remain in operation under Variety Wholesalers:
Alabama
603 U.S. Hwy 72 W, Athens, AL
1619 Town Sq. SW, Cullman, AL
1820 6th Ave Se., Decatur, AL
1100 Hwy 78 W., Jasper, AL
5363 Hwy 90 W Ste. C, Mobile, AL
5510 McFarland Blvd., Northport, AL
Florida
843 W. Bloomingdale Ave., Brandon, FL
225 S. Tyndall Pkwy., Callaway, FL
146 SE U.S. Highway 19, Crystal River, FL
4901 Palm Beach Blvd. Ste. 230, Fort Myers, FL
9119 Merrill Rd, Ste 50, Jacksonville, FL
4700 Highway 90, Marianna, FL
6247 Highway 90, Milton, FL
13970 N. Cleveland Ave., North Fort Myers, FL
122 S. Nova Rd., Ormond Beach, FL
3048 E. College Ave., Ruskin, FL
2384 Commercial Way, Spring Hill, FL
3401 13th St. Ste. 100, Saint Cloud, FL
Georgia
4420 Altama Ave. Ste. C2, Brunswick, GA
4125 Highway 20, Ste. A-2, Buford, GA
323 Habersham Village Cir., Cornelia, GA
3111 Highway 278 NW, Covington, GA
260 Merchants Square, Dallas, GA
558 Battlefield Pkwy., Fort Oglethorpe, GA
127 Commerce Ave., LaGrange, GA
2932 Canton Rd. Ste. 210, Marietta, GA
13 Lester Rd Ste. C, Statesboro, GA
3791 S. Cobb Dr. Se., Ste G, Smyrna, GA
110 E Northside Dr., Valdosta, GA
2305 E 1st St., Vidalia, GA
1803 Knight Ave Ste A2, Waycross, GA
Indiana
195 S. U.S. Hwy 231, Jasper, IN
Kentucky
400 Campbellsville Byp., Campbellsville, KY
1714 Perryville Rd. Ste. 400, Danville, KY
200 Sycamore St., Ste. 151, Elizabethtown, KY
294 Village Ln., Hazard, KY
845 S. Main St., London, KY
102 N 12th St., Middlesboro, KY
1342 Indian Mound Dr., Mount Sterling, KY
472 Eastern Byp., Richmond, KY
345 N. Hwy 27 Ste. 5, Somerset, KY
86 Appalachian Plz., South Williamson, KY
Louisiana
755 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, LA
Michigan
4157 E. Court Street, Burton, MI
5112 Miller Rd., Flint, MI
659 24th St., Port Huron, MI
14333 Eureka Rd., Southgate, MI
7651 23 Mile Rd., Shelby Township, MI
Mississippi
5778 Hwy. 80 E, Pearl, MS
2605 W. Main St., Tupelo, Ms
North Carolina
1371 N Sandhills Blvd., Aberdeen, NC
720 NC 24 27 Byp E., Albemarle, NC
1432 E Dixie Dr., Asheboro, NC
601 Park St., Belmont, NC
1811 S. Church St., Burlington, NC
100 Westwood Village Dr., Clemmons, NC
280 Concord Pkwy N, Concord, NC
1504 N Bridge St., Elkin, NC
685 S Hughes Blvd., Elizabeth City, NC
3915 Ramsey Street, Fayetteville, NC
273 Franklin Plaza Dr., Franklin, NC
630 Lakestone Commons Ave., Fuquay-Varina, NC
3718 Battleground Ave., Greensboro, NC
609 Greenville Blvd. SE, Greenville, NC
526C U.S. Highway 70 SW, Hickory, NC
2531 Eastchester Dr., High Point, NC
1677 Westchester Dr., High Point, NC
1110 Western Blvd., Jacksonville, NC
950 S Cannon Blvd. Ste. A, Kannapolis, NC
1664 S Main St. Ste. B, Laurinburg, NC
838 Winston Rd., Lexington, NC
403 N Generals Blvd., Lincolnton, NC
2750c N Roberts Ave., Lumberton, NC
1063 Yadkinville Rd., Mocksville, NC
2900 Arendell St. Ste. 19, Morehead City, NC
1251 Burkemont Ave., Morganton, NC
376 West Plaza Drive, Mooresville, NC
1328 Carter St., Mount Airy, NC
1450 Andrews Rd., Murphy, NC
2725 Northwest Blvd., Newton, NC
520 Berne Sq., New Bern, NC
1110 Julian R Allsbrook Hwy., Roanoke Rapids, NC
955 N Wesleyan Blvd., Rocky Mount, NC
711 E. Innes St., Salisbury, NC
2950 S. Horner Blvd., Sanford, NC
1403 S Pollock St., Selma, NC
4600 Main St. Ste 1, Shallotte, NC
1728 E Dixon Blvd., Shelby, NC
4956 Long Beach Rd. SE, Ste 8, Southport, NC
1639 Us Highway 74A Byp., Spindale, NC
1020 Crossroads Dr., Statesville, NC
12295 Capital Blvd., Wake Forest, NC
1176 Russ Ave., Waynesville, NC
130 Weaver Blvd., Weaverville, NC
1826 W US Hwy 421, Ste. K, Wilkesboro, NC
1700 Raleigh Rd., Pkwy W Ste 104, Wilson, NC
Ohio
426 East Waterloo Rd., Akron, OH
1890 W. Market St. Suite #500, Akron, OH
1965 W. State St., Alliance, OH
241 W. Wooster Rd., Barberton, OH
56104 National Rd., Bridgeport, OH
1336 Whipple Ave. NW, Canton, OH
3640 Werk Rd., Cincinnati, OH
12588 Rockside Rd., Cleveland, OH
2837 Winchester Pike, Columbus, OH
405 Howe Ave., Cuyahoga Falls, OH
825 Cleveland St., Elyria, OH
1800 E. State St., Fremont, OH
400 Silver Bridge Plz., Gallipolis, OH
3961 Hoover Rd., Grove City, OH
10560 Harrison Ave., Harrison, OH
2050 E. Dorothy Ln., Kettering, OH
1700 E Main St., Lancaster, OH
110 S. 7th St., Marietta, OH
8489 Market St., Mentor, OH
408 Bluebell Dr. NW, New Philadelphia, OH
6300 E. Livingston Ave., Reynoldsburg, OH
367 County Rd 406, Ste B, South Point, OH
3946 W. Alexis Rd., Toledo, OH
4331 Mahoning Ave. NW, Warren, OH
498 Cadiz Rd., Wintersville, OH
9025 Ohio River Rd., Wheelersburg, OH
7100 South Ave., Youngstown, OH
Pennsylvania
2431 Columbia Blvd., Bloomsburg, PA
3437 Simpson Ferry Rd., Camp Hill, PA
467 W. Penn Ave., Cleona, PA
5522 Shaffer Rd., Unit 7, DuBois, PA
1010 O’Neill Hwy., Dunmore, PA
389 N. Reading Rd., Ephrata, PA
866 Scranton Carbondale Hwy., Eynon, PA
500 Lincoln Hwy. Ste. 4, Fairless Hills, PA
697 Allegheny Blvd., Franklin, PA
6041 State Route 30 Ste 20, Greensburg, PA
1150 Carlisle St., Hanover, PA
2444 Philadelphia St., Indiana, PA
1425 Scalp Ave. Ste. 130, Johnstown, PA
1241 Blakeslee Boulevard Dr. E, Lehighton, PA
7405 Westbranch Hwy., Lewisburg, PA
820 Water St., Meadville, PA
2611 Ellwood Rd, New Castle, PA
11628 Penn Hills Dr., Pittsburgh, PA
4717 McKnight Rd., Pittsburgh, PA
750 Ohio River Blvd., Rochester, PA
156 Eagles Glen Plz Ste. 190 East, Stroudsburg, PA
2140 White St., York, PA
South Carolina
328 Robert Smalls Pkwy., Beaufort, SC
1641 Church St., Conway, SC
9221 Two Notch Rd., Ste. 30, Columbia, SC
6169 St. Andrews Rd., Columbia, SC
1023a S Pendleton St., Easley, SC
431 Saint James Ave. Unit G, Goose Creek, SC
339 Bypass 72 NW., Greenwood, SC
1206 Highway 9 Bypass W, Lancaster, SC
1013 Old Highway 52, Moncks Corner, SC
1370 S Kings Hwy., Myrtle Beach, SC
710 Hwy 17 S Ste. D, North Myrtle Beach, SC
2349 Cherry Rd. Ste. 79, Rock Hill, SC
207 Oconee Square Dr., Seneca, SC
915 S. St. Ste. A, Simpsonville, SC
1000 N Pine St., Spartanburg, SC
10150 Dorchester Rd. Unit 227, Summerville, SC
3230 Augusta Rd., West Columbia, SC
Tennessee
1301 S. James Campbell Blvd., Columbia, TN
1041 S. Riverside Dr., Clarksville, TN
840 25th St. NW, Cleveland, TN
220 Dickson Plaza Dr., Dickson, TN
744 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN
1475 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy., Greeneville, TN
3110 E. Oakland Ave., Johnson City, TN
264 E. Broadway Blvd., Jefferson City, TN
4825 N. Broadway St., Knoxville, TN
2342 E. Andrew Johnson Hwy., Morristown, TN
1262 NW Broad St., Murfreesboro, TN
420 Park Blvd., Rogersville, TN
201 Forks Of The River Parkway, Sevierville, TN
1806 N Jackson St., Tullahoma, TN
Virginia
1971 S. Military Hwy., Chesapeake, VA
4300 Portsmouth Blvd., Chesapeake, VA
2660 Weir Place, Chester, VA
260 Remount Rd., Front Royal, VA
10611 Courthouse Rd., Fredericksburg, VA
2318 W Mercury Blvd., Hampton, VA
2646 Greensboro Rd., Martinsville, VA
1851 E. Little Creek Rd., Norfolk, VA
10001 Hull Street Rd., North Chesterfield, VA
5260 Oaklawn Blvd., North Prince George, VA
2911 Hershberger Rd. NW, Roanoke, VA
1090 Bypass Rd., Vinton, VA
2715 W Main St., Waynesboro, VA
6610 Mooretown Rd., Williamsburg, VA
1090 Millwood Pike Winchester, VA
4318 George Washington Mem Hwy., Yorktown, VA
West Virginia
4522 Robert C. Byrd Dr., Beckley, WV
104 Thompson Dr., Bridgeport, WV
118 Hills Plz, Charleston, WV
710 Beverly Pike, Elkins, WV
110 Eagle School Rd., Martinsburg, WV
291 Mall Rd., Oak Hill, WV
1350 Stafford Dr, Princeton, WV