These Big Lots stores may be staying open, court docs suggest

(NEXSTAR) — It's been roughly five months since discount retailer Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In that time, the company has closed more than 500 stores, cutting its footprint down to less than 900 stores as of February 2025.

Recently filed court documents, however, suggest hundreds of stores could remain open.

Last month, Big Lots closed a previously announced sale agreement with Gordon Brothers Retail Partners. As part of the deal, Variety Wholesalers is set to acquire 200 to 400 Big Lots stores, which would retain the Big Lots branding, and two distribution centers, Nexstar's WCMH previously reported.

That announcement came roughly a month after Big Lots said it was starting "going out of business" sales at all of its locations. Gordon Brothers has listed hundreds of store leases for auction across the more than 40 states where Big Lots still has a presence.

Court documents filed Monday show the 200 locations designated for Variety Wholesalers to take over. While these locations are intended to operate as Big Lots stores, the list is not final, and additional locations could be added, a spokesperson for Gordon Brothers confirmed to Fast Company. The decision would need court approval, and the transition could take time, company officials warned.

According to the court filings, the following locations could continue to operate as Big Lots stores under Variety Wholesalers, if approved:

• Alabama: Athens, Cullman, Decatur, Jasper, Mobile, Northport
• Florida: Brandon, Callaway, Crystal River, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Marianna, Milton, North Fort Meyers, Ormond Beach, Ruskin, Saint Cloud, Spring Hill 
• Georgia: Brunswick, Buford, Cornelia, Covington, Dallas, Fort Oglethorpe, LaGrange, Marietta, Smyrna, Statesboro, Valdosta, Vidalia, Waycross
• Indiana: Jasper
• Kentucky: Campbellsville, Danville, Elizabethtown, Hazard, London, Middlesboro, Mount Sterling, Richmond, Somerset, South Williamson
• Louisiana: Metairie
• Michigan: Burton, Flint, Huron, Shelby Township, Southgate
• Mississippi: Pearl, Tupelo
• North Carolina: Aberdeen, Albemarle, Asheboro, Belmont, Burlington, Clemmons, Concord, Elizabeth City, Elkin, Fayetteville, Franklin, Fuquay-Varina, Greensboro, Greenville, Hickory, High Point (Eastchester Drive and Westchester Drive) Jacksonville, Kannapolis, Laurinburg, Lexington, Lincolnton, Lumberton, Mocksville, Mooresville, Morehead City, Morganton, Mount Airy, Murphy, New Bern, Newton, Roanoke Rapids, Rocky Mount, Salisbury, Sanford, Selma, Shallotte, Shelby, Southport, Spindale, Statesville, Wake Forest, Waynesville, Weaverville, Wilkesboro, Wilson
• Ohio: Akron (Market Street and East Waterloo Road), Alliance, Barberton, Bridgeport, Canton, Cincinnati (Werk Road), Cleveland, Columbus, Cuyahoga Falls, Elyria, Fremont, Gallipolis, Grove City, Harrison, Kettering, Lancaster, Marietta, Mentor, New Philadelphia, Reynoldsburg, South Point, Toledo, Warren, Wheelersburg, Wintersville, Youngstown
• Pennsylvania: Bloomsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, DuBois, Dunmore, East Stroudsburg, Ephrata, Eynon, Fairless Hills, Franklin, Greensburg, Hanover, Indiana, Johnstown, Lehighton, Lewisburg, Meadville, New Castle, Pittsburgh (McKnight Road and Penn Hills Drive), Rochester, York
• South Carolina: Beaufort, Columbia (Two Notch Road and St. Andrews Road), Conway, Easley, Goose Creek, Greenwood, Lancaster, Moncks Corner, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill, Seneca, Simpsonville, Spartanburg, Summerville, West Columbia 
• Tennessee: Clarksville, Cleveland, Columbia, Dickson, Gallatin, Greeneville, Jefferson City, Johnson City, Knoxville, Morristown, Murfreesboro, Rogersville, Sevierville, Tullahoma
• Virginia: Chesapeake (Military Highway and Portsmouth Boulevard), Chester, Fredericksburg, Front Royal, Hampton, Martinsville, Norfolk, North Chesterfield, North Prince George, Richlands, Roanoke, Vinton, Waynesboro, Williamsburg, Winchester, Yorktown
• West Virginia: Beckley, Bridgeport, Charleston, Elkins, Martinsburg, Oak Hill, Princeton

As of Feb. 6, the Big Lots website still says all stores are closing. Representatives for Big Lots and Gordon Brothers did not immediately respond to Nexstar's request for comment.