Latest news with #VarietyWholesalers
Fast Company
27-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Can I shop at Big Lots online? Retailer warns of fake websites as stores reopen under new owner
Big Lots has been through a wild ride since the home-goods discount retail chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last September. In December 2024, the company announced that it would hold going-out-of-business sales at its remaining store locations. The following month, however, Big Lots announced that Variety Wholesalers—a retail company based in North Carolina—would acquire and operate hundreds of existing Big Lots stores. After a period of remodeling and restocking, Variety Wholesalers has since reopened 219 Big Lots stores in a handful of states. The openings took place in four waves, starting in April and ending in June. The final reopening phase concluded with the reopening of 78 Big Lots stores on June 5. While the return of Big Lots is good news for fans of the brand, it may be exposing some unsuspecting bargain hunters to scams—particularly, for shoppers who prefer to buy things online. Big Lots warns of online scams Earlier this month, Big Lots took to social media to alert customers about the presence of online scams, explaining that its current website has no e-commerce component. 'BIG LOTS! no longer operates any ecommerce website,' the retailer wrote on its Facebook page. 'These are scam websites using our name and logo. Any purchases made through these websites should be IMMEDIATELY reported to your bank or credit card company. Our official website is The post attracted hundreds of comments, with some commenters saying they had fallen victim to the bogus offers. Indeed, scammers have been targeting consumers with online ads impersonating Big Lots. Links within these ads direct hopeful shoppers to fake websites that are not affiliated with the official retailer. Be aware that any advertisements promoting online Big Lots deals are not legitimate. Some products are still listed on the official Big Lots website A section of the retailer's official website highlights products that Big Lots stores actually sell. Although the official Big Lots site does not offer the option for online purchases, its product listings include photos, descriptions, and prices. Jeff King, vice president of sales and marketing for Variety Wholesalers, told Fast Company that the products advertised on the Big Lots website are meant to illustrate the deals available in-store. 'We do have products listed on our website to show the great values on the large variety of products we carry in our stores,' he said. 'We do this to encourage customers to visit our stores and see what deals they can find.' Bottom line: It's essential to be vigilant against online shopping scams. If you're hoping to shop at Big Lots, you'll need to visit a physical store.
Fast Company
26-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Big Lots new store openings come with a warning for online shoppers: Don't fall for scam websites
Big Lots has been through a wild ride since the home discount retail chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last September. In December 2024, the company announced that it would hold going-out-of-business sales at its remaining store locations. The following month, however, Big Lots announced that Variety Wholesalers—a retail company based in North Carolina—would acquire and operate hundreds of existing Big Lots stores. After a period of remodeling and restocking, Variety Wholesalers has since reopened 219 Big Lots stores in a handful of states. The openings took place in four waves, starting in April and ending in June. The final reopening phase concluded with the reopening of 78 Big Lots stores on June 5. While return of Big Lots is good news for fans of the brand, it may be exposing some unsuspecting bargain hunters to scams—particularly, for shoppers who prefer to buy things online. Big Lots warns of online scams Earlier this month, Big Lots took to social media to alert customers about the presence of online scams, explaining that its current website has no e-commerce component. 'BIG LOTS! no longer operates any ecommerce website,' the retailer wrote on its Facebook page. 'These are scam websites using our name and logo. Any purchases made through these websites should be IMMEDIATELY reported to your bank or credit card company. Our official website is The post attracted hundreds of comments, with some commenters saying they'd fallen victim to the bogus offers. Scammers have been targeting consumers with online ads impersonating Big Lots. Links within these ads direct hopeful shoppers to fake websites that are not affiliated with the official retailer. Be aware that any advertisements promoting online Big Lots deals are not legitimate. Some products are still listed on the official Big Lots website A section of the retailer's official website highlights products that Big Lots stores actually sell. Although there are no capabilities to make a purchase through the official Big Lots website, product listings include photos, descriptions, and prices. Jeff King, vice president of sales and marketing for Variety Wholesalers, told Fast Company that the products listed on the Big Lots website are meant to illustrate the deals available in-store. 'We do have products listed on our website to show the great values on the large variety of products we carry in our stores,' he said. 'We do this to encourage customers to visit our stores and see what deals they can find.' Bottom line: It's essential to be vigilant against online shopping scams. If you're hoping to shop at Big Lots, you'll need to visit a physical store.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Big Lots Is Back—78 Stores Are Reopening Across The Country
Big Lots made its comeback official by reopening the final wave of 78 stores. Dozens of locations in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia opened on June 5, bringing the total number of reopened Big Lots to 219. Henderson, North Carolina-based Variety Wholesalers operates the stores. The company also owns Roses Discount Stores. 'The connection with the communities we serve, and the positive customer feedback has been more than we could have imagined,' Variety Wholesalers President Lisa Seigies stated in a news release. 'This enthusiastic response reinforces our belief that taking Big Lots! back to the roots of what made it a huge success resonates with our customers. Providing great value will always be our core mission.' Not everyone is happy, as some Big Lots have closed for good and others are getting rebranded. Variety Wholesalers mostly scooped up locations in the Southeast and Midwest with the intention of continuing to use the Big Lots name. Some discount retailers picked up leases in other parts of the country with plans to convert them. According to USA Today, Pennsylvania-based Ollie's also has converted a few Big Lots in the South. Old Big Lots have reopened as Ollie's Bargain Outlets in Thomson, Georgia; Natchitoches, Louisiana; Union City, Tennessee; Madisonville, Kentucky; and Galveston and Corpus Christi North, Texas. Ollie's has announced plans to reopen more stores in early July in Oklahoma and Land O' Lakes, Florida. Their motto is "Good Stuff Cheap," so at least shoppers know they'll find good deals. Read the original article on Southern Living
Miami Herald
11-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Bankrupt retail chain makes major comeback, reopens new stores
Reviving a business after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and facing mass closures is no easy task, but when committed to making a major comeback, it's also not impossible. The slowdown in consumer spending has hit well-known companies harder than expected, with many filing for bankruptcy or shutting down multiple locations to pay off their mounting debt. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter This year alone, major retailers like Joann, Party City, and Forever 21 all filed for bankruptcy after decades of serving millions of customers, saying goodbye to a long-lived legacy that might never come back. Related: After bankruptcy, closed clothing chain hints at comeback But sometimes all that's needed is time and patience. After all, good things come to those who wait. The discount retailer Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September of last year, citing a slowdown in consumer spending and increased costs due to rising inflation. By the end of 2024, it had nearly 1,400 stores and was now looking for a new owner. The retailer thought its problems had been solved when it landed its first acquisition offer from Nexus Capital Management in December. But the celebration was short-lived because the company pulled out of the deal at the last minute. This caused Big Lots to announce a liquidation process in around 545 locations, with more added later. Related: Walmart makes deal to open popular food chain in stores However, the retailer sealed another acquisition agreement with Gordon Brothers Retail Partners only a month later. This deal enabled Variety Wholesalers to acquire between 200 and 400 Big Lots stores and two distribution centers, which it planned to continue operating under the Big Lots brand. Under new ownership, Big Lots began reopening stores in April in a series of waves to bring back the beloved brand to loyal customers after its tumultuous bankruptcy filing last year. After three successful reopening waves, Big Lots is ready for another round. Big Lots announced its fourth and final wave of store reopenings for the year, with 78 new reopened locations that began operating June 5. These stores are in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The reopening of the 78 additional stores will bring Big Lots to a total of 219 locations in 2025, after it was acquired by its new owner only five months ago. More Retail News: Dollar General expands key category to take on Target, WalmartPopular fast-food burger chain to open first store in new marketDisney World adding new land, closing classic attractions To continue expanding the retailer's brand, Variety Wholesalers plans to purchase more locations lost to the initial round of mass closures and reopen them under new management. "The connection with the communities we serve, and the positive customer feedback, has been more than we could have imagined," said Variety Wholesalers President and CEO Lisa Seigies in the announcement. "This enthusiastic response reinforces our belief that taking Big Lots! back to the roots of what made it a huge success resonates with our customers. Providing great value will always be our core mission." Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
219 Big Lots stores have reopened in 2025: Is your store on the list?
Big Lots' comeback is continuing. After four rounds of store reopenings that stared in April, Big Lots has reopened more than 200 locations across the United States. A total of 219 stores have reopened, the same number of stores that were bought by Variety Wholesalers in December 2024, who also acquired two distribution centers. "We're thrilled to bring the Big Lots! brand back to life by offering more deals than ever, lots of famous brands, and a new apparel department for the entire family," Variety Wholesalers CEO Lisa Seigies said in an April news release. Big Lots did not immediately answer USA TODAY's questions regarding any future store reopenings. Here's what to know about Big Lots store reopenings so far this year. Big Lots has reopened stores in four different waves, including the one on Thursday, June 4. The first round saw nine stores reopen across six states in April. Two further rounds in May saw 132 stores reopen across the U.S. And on Thursday, 78 stores across nine states reopened. Here's where: Other retailers besides Variety Wholesalers have announced the purchase of Big Lots locations. Rhode Island-based Ocean State Job Lot announced in March that it would be buying 15 Big Lots locations in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont. In February, Ollie's Bargain Outlet said it would be buying 40 former Big Lots store locations. Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 219 Big Lots stores have reopened in 2025: See list Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
