Hundreds of Big Lots stores are expected to stay open. Here’s a list of the NC locations
New details regarding the fate of hundreds of Big Lots stores, including some in North Carolina, have recently been revealed.
Court documents — filed a month after Henderson-based Variety Wholesalers announced it would acquire 200-400 Big Lots locations and operate them under the Big Lots name — include a list of 200 stores that will likely be saved from closure.
Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2024, The News & Observer previously reported, and began going-out-of-business sales at its locations months ago.
As of Wednesday, Feb. 12, Big Lots had an “all stores closing” message on its website.
Which Big Lots stores will stay open in NC?
The majority of the 65 Big Lots stores listed on the retailer’s website are on the list included in court filings to be acquired.
- Select Triangle locations include stores in Fuquay-Varina, Selma and Wake Forest.
- Missing are stores in Cary, Durham and Knightdale, all locations included on a list of available leases.
- No Charlotte locations are included, but Big Lots stores in nearby suburbs such as Belmont, Concord, Kannapolis and Mooresville are on the list.
Here’s the full list of North Carolina locations:
- Aberdeen: 1371 N. Sandhills Blvd.
- Albemarle: 720 NC-24
- Asheboro: 1432 E. Dixie Drive
- Belmont: 601 Park St.
- Burlington: 1811 S. Church St.
- Clemmons: 100 Westwood Village Drive
- Concord: 280 Concord Parkway North
- Elizabeth City: 685 S. Hughes Blvd.
- Elkin: 1504 N. Bridge St.
- Fayetteville: 3915 Ramsey St.
- Franklin: 273 Franklin Plaza Drive
- Fuquay-Varina: 630 Lakestone Commons Ave.
- Greensboro: 3718 Battleground Ave.
- Greenville: 609 Greenville Blvd. SE
- Hickory: 526c U.S. Highway 70 SW
- High Point: 2531 Eastchester Drive
- High Point: 1677 Westchester Drive
- Jacksonville: 1110 Western Blvd.
- Kannapolis: 950 S. Cannon Blvd.
- Laurinburg: 1664 S. Main St.
- Lexington: 838 Winston Road
- Lincolnton: 403 N. Generals Blvd.
- Lumberton: 2750c N. Roberts Ave.
- Mocksville: 1063 Yadkinville Road
- Mooresville: 376 West Plaza Drive
- Morehead City: 2900 Arendell St.
- Morganton: 1251 Burkemont Ave.
- Mount Airy: 1328 Carter St.
- Murphy: 1450 Andrews Road
- New Bern: 520 Berne Square
- Newton: 2725 Northwest Blvd.
- Roanoke Rapids: 1110 Julian R. Allsbrook Highway
- Rocky Mount: 955 N. Wesleyan Blvd.
- Salisbury: 711 E. Innes St.
- Sanford: 2950 S. Horner Blvd.
- Selma: 1403 S. Pollock St.
- Shallotte: 4600 Main St.
- Shelby: 1728 E. Dixon Blvd.
- Southport: 4956 Long Beach Road
- Spindale: 1639 U.S. Highway 74A
- Statesville: 1020 Crossroads Drive
- Wake Forest: 12295 Capital Blvd.
- Waynesville: 1176 Russ Ave.
- Weaverville: 130 Weaver Blvd.
- Wilkesboro: 1826 W. U.S. Highway 421
- Wilson: 1700 Raleigh Road Parkway West
A spokesperson for Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, which entered into a sale agreement with Big Lots, told the publication Fast Company that the list was not final and new locations could be added. However, Gordon Brothers confirmed to the publication that Variety Wholesalers plans to operate the leases as Big Lots stores.
Timeline: Big Lots’ bankruptcy and sale
Here’s an overview of what has happened to the company over the past few months:
- June 2024: Big Lots wrote in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it planned to close 35-40 locations in 2024.
- August 2024: Websites of four Triangle Big Lots stores, two each in Raleigh and Durham, and two in Charlotte showed that the locations would close, The N&O reported.
- September 2024: Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced a sale agreement with Nexus Capital Management, attributing its financial challenges to high inflation and interest rates and declining sales of home goods and seasonal products since the COVID-19 pandemic. The California-based investment firm would acquire nearly all of Big Lots’ assets and business operations. Big Lots also said it would close stores and “continue to evaluate and optimize its distribution center model.”
- Nov. 22, 2024: The court approved the sale of “substantially all” of Big Lots’ assets and ongoing business operations to Nexus. The sale was expected to close in December.
- Dec. 19, 2024: Big Lots announced that the purchase agreement with Nexus Capital Management fell through and that it would begin going-out-of-business sales at all of its remaining stores.
- Dec. 27, 2024: Big Lots announced a new sale with Gordon Brothers Retail Partners that would transfer Big Lots assets including stores, distribution centers and intellectual property to companies including North Carolina-based Variety Wholesalers, preserving the brand, hundreds of stores and thousands of jobs. Variety would acquire between 200 and 400 stores. (Variety Wholesalers is a privately held retail company that operates brands including Roses, Roses Express, Maxway, Super 10, Bargain Town, Bill’s Dollar Store and Super Dollar.)
- Jan. 3, 2025: The sale agreement with Gordon Brothers closed. “Variety is thrilled to officially welcome the Big Lots brand and looks forward to operating hundreds of Big Lots store locations. This strategic acquisition allows us to serve additional customers and communities,” Variety Wholesalers president and CEO Lisa Seigies said in a release.
This story was originally published February 12, 2025 at 2:04 PM with the headline "Hundreds of Big Lots stores are expected to stay open. Here’s a list of the NC locations."
