Trader Joe's rival snaps up several Big Lots locations as it expands aggressively across US
Big Lots is shrinking — and rival retailers are cashing in.
The discount chain, once operating more than 1,400 stores across the US, filed for bankruptcy in September and has since been offloading locations as it attempts a restructuring.
Now, America's fastest-growing grocery chain is grabbing a slice.
Aldi has started snapping up a few shuttered Big Lots storefronts, joining a growing list of retailers scooping up remains.
Burlington Coat Factory, Tractor Supply Co., and Ollie's Bargain Outlet collectively purchased 80 other stores.
But Aldi's purchases — in Denham Springs, Louisiana; Taylor, Michigan; and Nacogdoches, Texas — are particularly notable.
For years, Aldi has quickly expanded across the US.
The German grocery store, which has quickly pulled in American shoppers with its no-frills shopping experience and cheap prices, now operates more than 2,500 locations across 40 US states.
Aldi wants to open 225 stores in 2025. It opened 105 last year, far outpacing any other American grocery chain.
Florida-based Publix opened the second most, with just 43 new locations in 2024.
Aldi said it wanted to open 800 stores between 2024 and 2028.
The company has deployed a multi-faceted strategy to build out its footprint, including store purchases, chain takeovers, and new construction.
In 2024, the company spent $5 billion to acquire Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores to expand into Florida's grocery market.
It's also built several new locations from the ground up.
So far, Aldi has rapidly expanded on the east coast. The expansion is moving westward, with new openings in Las Vegas announced last month.
The company currently has no locations in New Mexico, Washington State, Oregon, Montana, or Utah.
Big Lots is sticking around, too - the company said it would reopen 200 stores that closed during its bankruptcy
Aldi's takeover isn't the end of Big Lots.
The bankrupt company is beginning to show new signs of life after the bankruptcy declaration, announcing the re-opening of 219 locations.
Big Lots' renewed locations come after Variety Wholesalers acquired multiple Big Lots assets in a last-minute bid.
Variety Wholesalers' CEO, Lisa Seigies, said the stores are expected to launch with a new lineup of products.
Locations are set to reopen in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and West Virginia.
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