Before doing commercial research I found an interesting video on Youtube that talked about stores that may or may not go out of business this year. One of the stores mentioned in that video is Big Lots and It's surprising that Big Lots is failing because it is a favorite store of many people including us Sitcoms Online members and if Big Lots does indeed go broke I am sure they will have good deals when the store closings are announced. Big Lots is one of many stores along with Rite Aid and Party City that will also expect to go broke this year. Just like we saw with Bed Bath And Beyond I think Big Lots wanted to focus on changing it's image and try to bring a new audience to their stores, I wonder where people will buy their sitcom DVD's if Big Lots indeed goes broke?
Bestie

Unfortunately, people will and are buying their crap online and very unfortunately from
Amazon which is one of the worst companies to work for in the history of American labor. One thing that happened during the pandemic, was that people’s buying changed, and instead of going to the store, the store comes to them. They don’t have to go out to eat, they can have the food come to them. Perhaps you have noticed going to restaurants or even fast food outlets and how much slower it is, because of all the lazy people buying restaurant food online and having it delivered.

“Amazon” can about guarantee next day delivery of items and do it by running sweat shop warehouses (Orwellian called ‘fulfillment centers’) with people meeting impossible quotas, urinating in bottles to keep up with computers counting and seeing every person and firing people who cannot keep up, with the bastard who owns the company wanting these people fired after three years no matter their job performance because of complacency.

All this while local businesses and even corporate stores in the neighborhood are going out of business. For me, I like to go out to the stores, I like seeing the merchandise. I don’t want to buy crap online (even if the company treats its workers with dignity and humanity) simply because I don’t want to wait for it and risk someone stealing it. Because there are a lot of drug people doing just treat. Follow the truck with the erect male member on it and see where it goes. It is so common there is a name for it “porch pirate”. Insane.

I really don’t want to live in a World where there are no stores, having to buy necessities from a trillionaire who runs his warehouses like a North Korean death camp and like to go out for dinner and not wait two hours for my food because some stoned Yob is at home waiting for his $12 hamburger.

Yes!

I have been in a big lots twice in my life. If they close, I will not know. I practice zero waste, so I buy reusables and seldom make purchases at all.

It would be nice to have something more than amazon and I do try to buy directly from the manufacturer, but if most of the stores close, it would be fine with me. I haven't gone window shopping in over a decade.

The only Big Lots I know of and I shopped there for many yrs, enjoyed my time there. Probably for 10 or more yrs that Big Lots has been a Big Whole Foods.... Just another sign of the Times....

Big Lots now emphasizes furniture much more than in decades past.

The Big Lots corporation has invested heavily in their 2 locations in my area. The north/east store moved into a former Kmart building they renovated beautifully. They are renting the extra space to other retailers. The south-side store has received upgrades and is also in fine shape. Time will tell how successful they'll continue to be, but I have to say the stores I know of have been very well-maintained.

I will add however that more bargains were to be found years ago, when Big Lots stores were more of a rag-tag operation: somewhat cluttered & disorganized. At least now people will find a nice store -- but tending to be very price conscious, will their shoppers still go?

My old Big Lots store had to close in 2019 because they had to move into my mall and where they put the new Big Lots was where Toys "R" Us had been for many years in my mall but also the reason why the store had to move was because the old Big Lots was in the crime area of my town. My mom went to shop at the new Big Lots store in my mall and she was disappointed with their new image and in 2021 the city miles from me opened a Big Lots store in a old Rite Aid building and I also have another Big Lots store that was once an Albertson's in the 80's. I do not see why furniture became the new start of their image but have you noticed that there are no Big Lots commercials shown on TV advertising sales anymore? I think they are trying to gain more shoppers by doing something new
Bestie

The Big Lots near me has been looking rundown for a few years now. The shelves are bare most of the time and there are leaks in the roof, and they have plastic containers to catch all the water, which has turned slimy! They moved all the aisles around and made them much wider, eliminating several rows of aisles. I overheard two employees talking the last time I was in saying how the company had basically forced the older employees to take an early retirement package. I used to shop there frequently in search of bargains or discounted items, but I go less often now because I never seem to find anything I want...