Months after filing for bankruptcy protection, national retail chain Big Lots says it’s ready to relaunch the brand with the openings of nine stores later this week. The relaunch of the locations comes after Variety Wholesalers acquired the Big Lots intellectual properties in December.
As part of the agreement, Variety agreed to purchase between 200 and 400 Big Lots stores with plans to reopen them under the Big Lots brand.
‘We’re thrilled to bring the Big Lots! brand back to life by offering more deals than ever, lots of famous brands and a new apparel department for the entire family,” said Lisa Seigies, president and CEO of Variety Wholesalers. “We’re opening stores quickly so we can serve the community. We know the stores won’t be perfect to start, but each week we’ll add more new products as we build towards the grand opening celebration in the fall. Every time a customer visits Big Lots! we want them to find something new and exciting!”
The first nine stores are scheduled to open April 10 in the following locations:
- KENTUCKY: 1342 Indian Mound Dr, Mount Sterling, KY
- LOUISIANA: 755 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, LA
- MISSISSIPPI: 2605 W Main St, Tupelo, MS; 5778 Hwy 80 E, Pearl, MS
- NORTH CAROLINA: 1432 E Dixie Dr, Asheboro, NC
- TENNESSEE: 1041 S Riverside Dr, Clarksville, TN; 744 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN; 220 Dickson Plaza Dr, Dickson, TN
- VIRGINIA: 2911 Hershberger Rd NW, Roanoke, VA
On May 1, the second wave of openings will take place with 55 different locations relaunching. The final wave of openings will take place in June, followed by grand opening events in the fall. In total, Variety expects to reopen 219 Big Lots stores in the coming months.
Stores are expected to reopen in: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia, and more.
While details are limited, Variety Wholesalers says customers can expect to see “remodeled stores, a large selection of closeout deals and new merchandise categories, including apparel for the family and electronics.”
The move marks a turnaround of sorts for the brand following a tumultuous few months to close out 2024. In September, the company announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. After an asset purchase agreement fell through, the company announced in December that it would begin “going out of business” sales at all locations.
However, a few days later the company announced it had reached an agreement with multiple partners, including Variety Wholesalers, to keep the brand alive and stop the liquidation sales.