Big Lots is planning to reopen 132 more stores in May as the bankrupt discount retailer works to rebuild its brand under new ownership.
After filing for bankruptcy in September of last year and moving to liquidate its stores, the Ohio-based retailer in December reached a last-minute deal to be acquired by Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, a Boston-based asset advisory firm.
As part of that agreement, between 200 and 400 Big Lots stores set to be closed were acquired by Variety Wholesalers, a discount retailer with more than 400 stores in the U.S. Variety Wholesalers continues to operate them under the Big Lots brand. At the time it was sold, Big Lots had a total of 869 stores.
The planned expansion builds on reopenings of Big Lots stores in April, which included nine locations across Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, a Big Lots spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch.
“We’re excited to bring an additional 132 Big Lots! locations back to life in May,” Variety Wholesalers CEO Lisa Seigies, said in a statement. “The customer response to the newly expanded assortment of fresh inventory and great deals has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Big Lots stores sell everyday items for the home, kitchen and pantry. The store reopenings in May are scheduled to take place in two phases across 14 states, with the greatest number of openings taking place in North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Locations include both large cities and small towns as part of the company’s effort to increase “accessibility for a wide range of customers,” Variety Wholesalers said in its statement.
The number of store closures around the country surged in 2024, according to recent data from research firm CoreSight
Following is a list where around the U.S. the 132 Big Lot stores are scheduled to reopen in May.
Alabama: Athens, Decatur, Dothan, Guntersville, Jasper, Mobile, Northport
Florida: Crystal River, Jacksonville, Marianna, Ormond Beach, Panama City
Georgia: Augusta, Brunswick, Buford, Cornelia, Dallas, Fort Oglethorpe, Marietta, Smyrna, Valdosta, Vidalia, Waycross
Indiana: Jasper
Kentucky: Campbellsville, Danville, Elizabethtown, Glasgow, Hazard, London, Middlesboro, Richmond, Somerset
Michigan: Burton, Flint, Port Huron, Shelby Township, Southgate
Mississippi: Southhaven
North Carolina: Belmont, Burlington, Clemmons, Dunn, Elizabeth City, Elkin, Fayetteville, Gastonia, Greensboro, Greenville, Hickory, Kinston, Lexington, Lincolnton, Mocksville, Mooresville, Mount Airy, Newton, Roanoke Rapids, Rocky Mount, Selma, Shelby, Southport, Statesville, Wake Forest, Wilkesboro, Wilson
Ohio: Alliance, Boardman, Bridgeport, Columbus, Elyria, Fremont, Grove City, Kettering, Lancaster, New Philadelphia, Reynoldsburg, Toledo, Warren, Wintersville
Pennsylvania: Bloomsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, Du Bois, Dunmore, East Stroudsburg, Erie, Eynon, Franklin, Lehighton, Lewisburg, Meadville, New Castle
South Carolina: Easley, Greenwood, Lexington, Rock Hill, Seneca, Simpsonville, Spartanburg, West Columbia
Tennessee: Alcoa, Cleveland, Greeneville, Jefferson City, Johnson City, Knoxville, Morristown, Murfreesboro, Rogersville, Sevierville
Virginia: Chesapeake, Chester, Fredericksburg, Front Royal, Martinsville, North Chesterfield, North Prince George, Waynesboro, Winchester, Yorktown
West Virginia: Beckley, Bridgeport, Charleston, Elkins, Fairmont, Martinsburg, Oak Hill, Princeton
For more information on Big Lots store locations, go to biglots.com,
