Big Lots is closing many NC stores this year, including these Charlotte locations
Big Lots expects to close stores across the U.S. this year, and Charlotte will not be spared.
The discount retailer announced in a June filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that the company plans to close 35-40 locations in 2024. (However, an article from the Massachusetts publication MassLive showed that hundreds of Big Lots locations have a “closing this location” message on their websites.)
While Big Lots has not released a list of stores that will close, websites of specific locations have a “closing this location” message, along with a notice that customers can take advantage of discounts up to 20% off prices.
Big Lots did not immediately respond to The News & Observer’s request for more information on this story.
Which Big Lots stores in Charlotte are closing?
Two locations in Charlotte have “closing this location” messages on their websites:
- Charlotte: 8215 University City Blvd. A store manager reached Monday afternoon declined to answer The News & Observer’s questions and directed the reporter to the company’s corporate office.
- Charlotte: 9535 South Blvd. A store manager confirmed that the location was closing but did not know when the store would close.
Four stores in the Raleigh area are also closing.
Other Big Lots locations in Matthews, Kannapolis, Concord and Mooresville appear to be unaffected, based on their websites.
Big Lots’ sales decreasing
As of May, Big Lots operated nearly 1,400 stores across 48 states, according to the June filing.
Big Lots wrote in the filing that the company has “implemented plans to reduce costs, improve sales, and enhance its financial flexibility and liquidity,” but that may not be enough.
Compared to the first quarter of 2023, Big Lots saw a decrease in net sales of $114.5 million in the first quarter of 2024 — 10.2%. Long-term debt increased $72.2 million from the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024, according to the filing.
