Big Lots to close over half of Washington locations

Discount retailer Big Lots had said it would close 35 stores this year, but that number is much higher according to documents the company filed with the government.

Big Lots told the Securities and Exchange Commission it may close up to 315 stores across the U.S., but it hasn’t settled on the final count.

In Washington alone, Big Lots is planning to close 16 of its 24 stores:

• Bellingham
• Burien
• Covington
• Everett
• Kent
• Lacey
• Lakewood
• Lynnwood
• Olympia
• Port Angeles
• Port Orchard
• Puyallup
• Renton
• Richland
• Spokane
• Wenatchee

The company had said it wanted to “aggressively address underperforming stores” and amended its 2022 Credit Agreement’s permitted store closings from 150 at the time of the original agreement to 315. The paperwork was filed on July 31.

Big Lots had written in a different filing for the quarter that ended in May, “In 2024, we currently expect to open 3 stores and close 35 to 40.”

Big Lots currently has 1,389 locations in the U.S. with 315 stores, shuttering more than 22% of locations.

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