Big Lots is closing stores again: See a list of doomed locations in the latest twist for the discount retail chain

Your local discount store might be going out of business—again. 

Less than 15 months after hundreds of Big Lots locations were saved from permanent closure in a dramatic 11th-hour bankruptcy deal, some stores are already shuttering, Fast Company has learned. 

Variety Wholesalers, the North Carolina-based retail company that took over the stores from liquidation firm Gordon Brothers in early 2025, has closed or will close at least a small number of Big Lots locations in three states this year.

One store based in Asheboro, North Carolina, appears to have closed recently, while another location in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, closed this week. 

Two additional stores in South Carolina are expected to close later this year, employees confirmed by phone. News of the closures began to circulate earlier this month on social media, with some comments suggesting that the closures came as a surprise. 

Representatives for Variety Wholesalers did not respond to requests for comment. The company, which also owns discount retail chain Roses, listed 217 Big Lots locations on its store locator as of this week. 

A retail success story with mixed results 

The near extinction and subsequent second life of the Big Lots brand was among the most operatic retail stories of the last few years. 

The discount chain, known for its giant storefronts and overstock deals, struggled with high inflation and declining foot traffic in the post-COVID era. In 2024, it sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and struck a deal to be acquired by private equity firm Nexus Capital Management.

But that arrangement fell through, and Big Lots subsequently announced that it would go out of business and close every location.

Before the year ended, though, fate appeared to tip in the retailer’s favor, as the liquidator brought on to manage the closings, Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, announced a last-minute deal to transfer at least 200 stores to Variety Wholesalers.

Those stores held their going-out-of-business sales anyway. As Fast Company reported at the time, the locations ended up closing for a short period before Variety remodeled them, restocked them, and reopened them in four separate waves in 2025.

The reopenings were framed as a major success story, with Variety and Gordon Brothers touting the preservation of thousands of retail jobs. Still, the new Big Lots was notably different, with privately held Variety bringing new categories of merchandise and its own way of doing things.

Variety’s Big Lots footprint remains considerably smaller than the original, with stores concentrated in about 15 states across the Southeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic.

Which Big Lots stores are closing?

So far, it appears that at least two Big Lots locations have already closed and at least two additional stores will close later this year.

These closures were confirmed through a mix of local media and social media reports, online review platforms, and store employees. The list is as follows:

• 1432 E Dixie Dr, Asheboro, NC 27203 (already closed)
• 389 N Reading Rd, Ephrata, PA 17522 (already closed)
• 3230 Augusta Rd, West Columbia, SC 29170 (closing this year)
• 339 By-pass 72 NW, Greenwood, SC 29649 (closing this year)

Will more Big Lots stores close?

It’s not immediately clear if additional store closures are planned, nor is it clear how many jobs might be impacted by the closures. Variety did not respond to requests for comment. We’ll update this list if we learn about additional Big Lots closures.

This story is developing and may be updated…