Big Lots

[cjd]

I went to Big Lots yesterday, I had not been in a long time.

This is what I'd consider a quite old Big Lots, I can remember it being open in at least 1994, and it could be even a little earlier. (If anyone knows of locations that old or older still operating let me know). It is in a 70s shopping center (still has speed bumps which I never see anymore), and was originally a Winn Dixie before they relocated to the end of the plaza in the early 90s.

It used to have the original floor from Winn Dixie with the colored tiles for each department that was actually in really good shape. (Still has the big round ceiling vents) They have redone the floors since I'd been there last with white tiles and I don't know what happened but they actually don't appear to be all that well kept, certainly in need of waxing.

The cashier stands (I think there were 3 before) have been relocated to the front wall with it appeared just one or two stations. The departments have been spread out and reorganized to shorter aisles and an open center area of furniture, which used to be just in the left area of the store (I think the prior layout before was all identical if not very close to what it originally had in the 90s from what I recall).

What I found most striking is the first department you come into (which originally was outdoor/seasonal stuff) now is set up with shorter shelving and purple and white colors. I've seen videos of the Pop Shelf concept, and that was immediately what came to mind. I thought "Oh, they've implemented some of the traits from Pop Shelf".

Well, just now that I'm typing this I realized Pop Shelf is a Dollar General owned store, it has nothing to do with Big Lots. LOL Strange.

I found the prices also to be quite high. Nothing seemed like a good deal, you could do better at Walmart or any big box or dollar store. I realize prices have gone up but they are higher than most places I've been lately.

The store did still for some reason have that 1970s feel despite the changes. To me that was kind of a nice thing from a nostalgic aspect. Most people probably wouldn't notice.

[Alpha8472]

Big Lots never seems to be busy these days. It seems sort of like a Dollar store, but with higher prices. The value is not good on most of the merchandise.

I see many random or closeout items. Many items are expiring soon. The selection just seems really unappealing and the prices are not good.

This company seems to be stuck in between a dollar store and a discount store. It lacks the dollar store cheapness, and it does not have the full range of items of Walmart or Target. I rarely ever go to Big Lots and I probably have only bought 1 item there in the past 5 years. I look and there is nothing that entices me to buy.

At least with Grocery Outlet, there is produce, dairy, fresh foods, frozen foods, and ice cream. Big Lots might do better if they had some fresh and frozen groceries to bring in the customers.

[Romr123]

They put in coolers/freezers about 10 years ago, and they seem pretty under-utilized--don't think they've got nearly the supply chain about perishables that Grocery Outlet does. The stuff in the coolers I've seen is reminiscent of KMart at the end---DSD dairy and a few wan looking package of low-end cured meats.

I enjoy wandering through every now and again---from time to time there are some amazing bargains (shakers of house-brand everything bagel seasoning are $1.29; similar is $1.99 at Aldi); sometimes there are some good Hoover vacuum refurbished bargains, also sometimes some good Rubbermaid items.

[storewanderer]

Big Lots removed the coolers/freezers from the stores in my area that had them. A new store that opened more recently did not open with coolers/freezers.

Big Lots was running a 20% off all transactions e-mail coupon offer the past week and I noticed a couple times looking at their store that it was very busy. The irony is their prices are quite a bit above Wal Mart or Dollar General at this point, so the 20% off probably gets you down closer to those two stores prices. Big Lots pricing seems to be more in line with Target on consumables (maybe a little better).

I find Big Lots to be poorly merchandised, high priced, frequently out of stock on whatever it is I go in there to buy when it is a consumable item, and have slow checkout (which got even slower by taking out the checkstands and putting a small counter at the front wall).

Big Lots plans to open hundreds of new stores and is supposedly having a very successful period for itself in recent years. I was so confused when I read that press release that I had to do a double check on what date it was released.

Supposedly that is driving growth for Big Lots is the furniture business. Maybe they will evolve into a furniture store. Perhaps they can merge with Sears and add appliances/mattresses.

[norcalriteaidclerk]

https://citrusheightssentinel.com/2022/ ... hts-store/

Only open three years and occupying part of an old Grant City turned k-mart.Second time Big Lots has failed in Citrus Heights:a better located store near sam's club still lasted in business longer(closed by the early 2010's).

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[storewanderer]

https://citrusheightssentinel.com/2022/ ... hts-store/

Only open three years and occupying part of an old Grant City turned k-mart.Second time Big Lots has failed in Citrus Heights:a better located store near sam's club still lasted in business longer(closed by the early 2010's).

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There seem to be some real issues with this shopping center. Though Kmart was there for years it seems like after Kmart, things have not been stable at all. I am trying to remember if Fresh & Easy was trying to go into this center (was never open if they did)... seems like there was something before the also short lived/failed Smart & Final...

It doesn't help that Big Lots hardly draw in any foot traffic. Definitely not like the old MacFrugal's days where they had tons of stuff and were very busy. I guess Grocery Outlet gets all the interesting stuff now.

[norcalriteaidclerk]

https://citrusheightssentinel.com/2022/ ... hts-store/

Only open three years and occupying part of an old Grant City turned k-mart.Second time Big Lots has failed in Citrus Heights:a better located store near sam's club still lasted in business longer(closed by the early 2010's).

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk

There seem to be some real issues with this shopping center. Though Kmart was there for years it seems like after Kmart, things have not been stable at all. I am trying to remember if Fresh & Easy was trying to go into this center (was never open if they did)... seems like there was something before the also short lived/failed Smart & Final...

It doesn't help that Big Lots hardly draw in any foot traffic. Definitely not like the old MacFrugal's days where they had tons of stuff and were very busy. I guess Grocery Outlet gets all the interesting stuff now.

The Smart and final which closed roughly three years ago(due to redundancy with the 'new' Citrus Heights store which open the previous year in a new infill center on the former Capital nursery site across from Sunrise Village)actually had been in business as since at least the early 2000's, until then the former alpha beta space had undergone tenant instability after their mid-1980's Sacramento exit.The current gold's gym in the same center was a former Thrifty Drug that similar went through a succession of tenants.This gold's gym is a relocation of the creekside center(nwc greenback/Auburn) location that had long been a Sprouse Reitz (ironically now occupied by a Dollar tree).

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[storewanderer]

There seem to be some real issues with this shopping center. Though Kmart was there for years it seems like after Kmart, things have not been stable at all. I am trying to remember if Fresh & Easy was trying to go into this center (was never open if they did)... seems like there was something before the also short lived/failed Smart & Final...

It doesn't help that Big Lots hardly draw in any foot traffic. Definitely not like the old MacFrugal's days where they had tons of stuff and were very busy. I guess Grocery Outlet gets all the interesting stuff now.

The Smart and final which closed roughly three years ago(due to redundancy with the 'new' Citrus Heights store which open the previous year in a new infill center on the former Capital nursery site across from Sunrise Village)actually had been in business as since at least the early 2000's, until then the former alpha beta space had undergone tenant instability after their mid-1980's Sacramento exit.The current gold's gym in the same center was a former Thrifty Drug that similar went through a succession of tenants.This gold's gym is a relocation of the creekside center(nwc greenback/Auburn) location that had long been a Sprouse Reitz (ironically now occupied by a Dollar tree).

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[/quote]

Was that Smart & Final converted to "Extra" or was it just a standard Smart & Final until it closed?

I wonder if that location would have made sense for the Smart Foodservice format instead... in 2019 they could have flipped that to that format since they still owned it.

Then not far away there is a center with an in-line Dollar General and a long closed former Lucky that is a bingo hall. For some reason this area just doesn't have great luck holding retailers.

[J-Man]

Big Lots is closing a number of stores in my area (southern California.) I don't know if there's an article or list anywhere, but there are "store closing signs" posted on at least four stores in my immediate area (San Gabriel Valley.)

[storewanderer]

Big Lots is a disaster. I have no idea how this chain stays in business. They have terrible in-stock conditions, pricing is not great, mix is not great, service is odd/robotic, and they do endless "discounts" - $5 off $15, 20% off everything, $10 off $20, etc.

In theory Big Lots seems like it should be a good concept. I suppose their marketing really makes them sound like they should be good. But once you get into the stores it is just not good, to be very polite.

The best is when you have a scanning error at Big Lots. Big Lots tags almost every item with a sticker showing the price, since Big Lots does not scan standard bar codes in many cases, but must scan their Big Lots tag instead. So I had a scan error at Big Lots. It was routine- the item scanned at .50 higher price than what was on the sticker right on the item. They missed a price increase, which is common these days across retailers. Especially one who is manually tagging items. I told the cashier. The cashier first said "nobody else mention this to me and I sold a few of these today." Then when I pointed out that the price ON THE STICKER did not match the price ON THE SCREEN the cashier said "we increased the price but didn't change all the stickers." Then when I pushed back and demanded the cashier sell the item to me at the marked price, well, at Big Lots, evidently they do not have a price override button. The cashier did an "UGH" and said she would be right back. She took the item, went over to a closed register, and started doing something with the item on that register. Eventually she pulled a sticker out from below the counter and stuck it onto the item. The sticker was a "CLEARANCE" sticker to get the item to the marked price; scanned that sticker and it came up the price it was tagged in the first place. Worst price scan error process I've ever seen.

The good thing is while the cashier dealt with the scanning error, she was unable to yell at every customer who entered (the entry is like 10 feet from the register) "welcome to Big Lots we hope you find everything you need today and stay healthy."

Big Lots was going around about a year ago claiming they were doing great and they were going to open 500 new stores. I could not believe it. I wonder how that initiative is progressing. Big dreams, I suppose.

Best outcome for Big Lots is if Dollar General just takes over the stores. The stores would be cheaper and have a far better product mix on the consumables side. Maybe someone else would be interested in Big Lots furniture business.