Big Lots Continues Store Closures in North Carolina and Pennsylvania
Discount retailer Big Lots is closing more stores, approximately 15 months after hundreds of locations were saved from bankruptcy. Variety Wholesalers, which acquired the stores, is shutting down several units across multiple states.
Discount retailer Big Lots is continuing its trend of store closures, with several locations shutting down roughly 15 months after a bankruptcy deal saved hundreds of its stores. Variety Wholesalers, the company that acquired the Big Lots locations, has closed or will close a number of stores in three states this year.
A store in Asheboro, North Carolina, has reportedly closed, and another in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was shuttered this week. Two additional stores in South Carolina are slated for closure later this year, according to employee confirmations.
Variety Wholesalers, which also operates the Roses discount chain, has not responded to requests for comment. As of this week, the company listed 217 Big Lots stores on its locator. The revival of the Big Lots brand was a significant retail event, with Variety Wholesalers taking over hundreds of stores from liquidation firm Gordon Brothers in 2025.
Following their remodeling and reopening, which Variety promoted as a success, the new Big Lots stores operate differently with new merchandise categories. Variety Wholesalers' Big Lots footprint remains considerably smaller than its original configuration, with stores concentrated in approximately 15 states across the Southeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic regions.