Discount retailer to close hundreds of stores. See which 8 Ohio locations are on the list
Big Lots is getting a little smaller.
Founded in Ohio, the Big Lots chain announced it would close about 25% of its stores.
In a quarterly report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in May, the company said it “incurred net losses and used cash in operating activities in 2022, 2023, and the first quarter of 2024.”
To balance the losses, Big Lots officials said the chain would close up to 315 of its 1,392 locations.
“In 2024, we currently expect to open 3 stores and close 35 to 40 stores,” stated the quarterly report.
While the document said downsizing would start with up to 40 closings this year, the Big Lots website shed some light on which locations would shut their doors. The location pages of 300 Big Lots stores now have banners announcing their impending closings and a 20% discount on merchandise.
Some Ohio locations will close
Some states fared better than others. While only eight of Ohio’s 102 locations are included in the closings, 75 of California’s 109 locations will soon be gone. Under the Pic ‘N’ Save moniker, the chain had a long history in California.
The chain was founded in Ohio in 1967. Its first store opened in Columbus and was called Odd Lots. All five Columbus stores will remain open.
Mahoning County locations in Austintown and Boardman also made the cut and are not scheduled to close down.
Defiance, West Chester, Saint Mary’s and Sandusky stores will shutter.
Many metropolitan areas with more than one location will lose their lowest performing stores. Two of Cincinnati’s five locations are slated for closures. Dayton is losing one of two locations.
One of three locations in the Toledo area will close.