Big Lots Closing by Kipp Teague (CC BY-NC-ND)
It’s been a long, bumpy road for Big Lots. The chain that sells everything from gourmet pasta to office chairs filed for bankruptcy last year. Since then, we’ve gotten whiplash from the ever-changing news about the company and what it plans to do with its stores. Finally, things seem settled, and there’s good news: Hundreds of Big Lots locations will reopen, including some this week.
Big Lots filed for bankruptcy on Sept. 9, 2024. It cited reasons including less demand for its furniture and decor because of a sluggish housing market, stubborn inflation, high interest rates, and an overall slowdown in consumer spending after the pandemic era. At its peak, it ran 1,300 stores in 48 states.
In the bankruptcy process, Big Lots sold some locations to a company called Variety Wholesalers. They’re the ones reopening and operating any Big Lots locations from now on. That company isn’t new to the discount retail business, either, because it owns stores like Bargain Town and Roses Discount as well.
There are a total of 219 Big Lots stores that will reopen, according to Variety Wholesalers in a recent press release. Previously, the company had released the full list of approximately 200 locations that will reopen. The first wave of reopenings begins this week on April 10, 2025.
There are 9 Big Lots locations that will open on April 10 in six states.
There will be three waves of openings, according to Variety Wholesalers, with the first nine locations reopening this week. Then in May, the company plans to open 55 Big Lots locations. Finally in June, the company will open the remaining 155 stores. Once all the stores have reopened, there will be a “grand opening celebration” across all stores this fall, according to a press release.