Big Lots Explained

Big Lots Stores, Inc.
Trade Name:Big Lots
Type:Public
Industry:Retailing
Key People:Bruce Thorn[1]
(President and CEO)
Foundation:As Consolidated Stores Corp.:
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Founder:Sol A. Shenk
Location City:Columbus, Ohio
Location Country:U.S.
Locations:1,426 (2023)
Num Employees:22,900[2]
Area Served:Contiguous United States
Products:Food and Beverage, toys, furniture, clothing, housewares, small electronics
Brands:Varies
Revenue: US$6.15 billion (2021)[3]
Operating Income: US$239.7 million (2021)
Net Income: US$177.77 million (2021)
Assets: US$1.41 billion (2021)
Num Employees Year:2018
Subsid:LW Stores (defunct)

Big Lots Stores, Inc. (stylized as Big Lots!) is an American discount retail chain headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, United States.

History

The Big Lots chain traces its history back to 1967 when Consolidated Stores Corporation was formed in Ohio by Sol Shenk.[4] In 1982, Consolidated Stores Corp. opened its first closeout store, called Odd Lots, in Columbus, Ohio. In 1983, drug store chain Revco bought New Jersey closeout retailer Odd Lot Trading Co.[5] As Consolidated's Odd Lots stores expanded from Columbus, Revco took issue with the fact that another closeout retailer was operating a chain with national aspirations that had a similar name as the Revco-owned subsidiary. Consolidated Stores Corp. agreed to limit their use of the Odd Lots name to stores located within a certain radius of Columbus. Beyond the radius, Consolidated began opening stores under the Big & Small Lots name. Eventually, all Odd Lots stores were rebranded as Big Lots.[6] [7] [8]

Consolidated Stores Corp. was an investor in the DeLorean Motor Company, which declared bankruptcy in 1982. Consolidated took possession of approximately 100 DeLorean models, then still at the factory in Northern Ireland, when the U.S. importer was unable to import them. This unusual excess inventory acquisition is commemorated on the Big Lots website's "Closeout Museum" page.[9] In 1985, Consolidated Stores Corp. began trading as a separate public company on the American Stock Exchange.[10] In 1986, Consolidated Stores Corp. switched to the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol CNS.

In 1994, Consolidated Stores Corp. acquired Toy Liquidators, adding 82 stores in 38 states. Looking to expand further into the toy business, Consolidated Stores Corp. purchased KB Toys from Melville Corporation in 1996.[11] Shortly afterward, Melville purchased Revco[12] and folded it into the CVS Pharmacy chain on its way to becoming CVS Health, making the "Odd Lots" dispute moot.

In 1998, Big Lots Inc. bought out 'MacFrugals' (Pic 'N' Save) stores for $995 million in stock, converting them to the Big Lots brand.[13]

In 2000, Consolidated Stores Corp. sold the KB Toys and Toy Liquidators lines to Bain Capital.[14] [15] A year later, Consolidated Stores Corp. changed its name to Big Lots, Inc. and its ticker symbol from CNS to BLI.[16] [17]

In the later part of 2005, Big Lots closed 170 stores, including all free-standing Big Lots Furniture specialty stores.[18]

On August 3, 2006, Big Lots announced that it would change its New York Stock Exchange ticker symbol from BLI to BIG, beginning with trading activity on August 18, 2006.[19]

In October 2023, CreditRiskMonitor reported that Big Lots was nearing a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.[20] The company closed 52 stores in 2023.

In July 2024, Big Lots announced the closure of 35 to 40 underperforming locations nationwide, blaming inflation and high rising costs as part of the decision. The company warned that it might not be able to survive the rest of 2024 and that a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing might be imminent; in the first quarter of 2024, net sales decreased 10.2% compared to the first quarter of 2023.[21] [22] Of the company's 1,400 stores nationwide, 144 stores were confirmed that month to be closing including the only one in South Dakota in Rapid City.[23] [24] In July 31 filing, Big Lots reported it could close up to 315 stores.[25] [26]

Big Lots Wholesale

Big Lots operated a wholesale division which provided merchandise in bulk. Big Lots closed its wholesale division at the end of the 2013 fiscal year. The Columbus-based closeout retailer had conducted wholesale operations through Big Lots Wholesale, Consolidated International and Wisconsin Toy for more than 34 years.[27]

Big Lots Canada

See main article: LW Stores. On July 19, 2011, Big Lots announced that it had purchased Liquidation World Inc., a Canadian closeout retailer with 89 locations. The cost of the acquisition was $20 million in cash and the assumption of certain liabilities. This represents Big Lots first retail venture outside of the US. The first Big Lots location in Canada opened in April 2013 in Orillia, Ontario, followed by Burlington, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, and Thunder Bay (all in Ontario as well). Big Lots exited the Canadian marketplace in 2014, citing poor sales.[28]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Leadership . Biglots.com.
  2. Web site: Big Lots. Fortune. 2019-01-07. April 14, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190414011421/http://fortune.com/fortune500/big-lots/. dead.
  3. Web site: Annual Reports . BigLots.com.
  4. News: Holusha . John . 1994-09-01 . Sol A. Shenk, 83, Merchandiser Who Built a 700-Store Empire . 2024-07-09 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  5. Web site: April 30, 1984 . REVCO BUILDING "CLOSE-OUT" MERCHANDISING BUSINESS WITH ODD LOT ACQUISITION FOR $113 MIL.; PURCHASE INCLUDES $78 MIL. WHSLE. BUSINESS . https://web.archive.org/web/20190302210449/https://pink.pharmaintelligence.informa.com/PS006501/REVCO-BUILDING-CLOSEOUT-MERCHANDISING-BUSINESS-WITH-ODD-LOT-ACQUISITION-FOR-113-MIL-PURCHASE-INCLUDE . March 2, 2019 . July 9, 2024 . The Pink Sheet.
  6. Web site: Leased thru June 30, 2027 . July 9, 2024 . Retail Investment Group.
  7. Web site: Jensen . Trevor . 2001-07-02 . Bigger Budget Backs Big Lots Rebranding Moves . 2024-07-09 . www.adweek.com . en-US.
  8. Web site: Big Lots: History . 25 October 2014 . Big Lots.
  9. Web site: Big Lots - Retail. https://web.archive.org/web/20061016183701/http://www.biglots.com/museum/default.aspx?itemID=35&page=2. dead. 2006-10-16. 2006-10-16. 2018-07-18.
  10. News: May 24, 1985 . Securities Act Registrations . July 9, 2024 . SEC News Digest . 5.
  11. News: 1996-03-26 . Melville in Accord to Sell Toy Chain to Consolidated . 2024-07-09 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  12. News: Segal . David . February 7, 1997 . CVS TO ACQUIRE REVCO IN $2.8 BILLION STOCK DEAL . 2024-07-09 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.
  13. Web site: Martin L. . de Vore . July 2, 2002 . MacFrugal's get a new name . July 9, 2024 . Chron.
  14. News: 2000-12-09 . COMPANY NEWS; BAIN CAPITAL BUYS TOYS UNIT OF CONSOLIDATED STORES . 2024-07-09 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  15. Web site: Maestri . Nicole . December 8, 2000 . Consolidated Stores sells KB Toys . July 9, 2024 . MarketWatch.
  16. News: 2001-05-17 . COMPANY NEWS; CONSOLIDATED STORES CHANGES ITS NAME TO BIG LOTS . 2024-07-09 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  17. Web site: Archives . L. A. Times . 2001-05-17 . Consolidated Stores to Be Called Big Lots . 2024-07-09 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
  18. Web site: October 7, 2005 . Big Lots closing up to 170 stores . 19 June 2017 . Milwaukee Business Journal.
  19. SEC 10k Filing. 2006 Annual Report. 31 May 2007. Part III (Part 3). 14. 25 October 2014.
  20. Web site: 11 retailers at risk of bankruptcy in 2023. October 2, 2023. October 3, 2023. Retail Dive. en.
  21. Web site: Herzlich . Taylor . 2024-07-05 . Big Lots to close stores, may file for bankruptcy . 2024-07-09 . New York Post . en-US.
  22. Web site: Big Lots to close 35 to 40 stores this year amid 'doubt' the company can survive. Walrath-Holdridge. Mary. July 10, 2024. July 12, 2024. USA Today. en.
  23. Web site: Martinez . Jeremiah . July 22, 2024 . Big Lots closures in California: Here’s which stores are shutting down . July 23, 2024 . Fox 40.
  24. Web site: Bink . Addy . July 23, 2024 . List: Big Lots set to close dozens of stores — here’s where . July 23, 2024 . The Hill.
  25. Web site: Grothaus . Michael . August 6, 2024 . Big Lots store closures: Latest list of hundreds of doomed locations across 35 states . Fast Company.
  26. Web site: Valinsky . Jordan . 2024-08-13 . Big Lots is closing hundreds of stores after warning it could go out of business CNN Business . 2024-08-18 . CNN . en.
  27. News: Feran. Tim. Big Lots to shut down wholesale division. 24 October 2014. The Columbus Dispatch. 11 November 2013.
  28. News: Buchanan. Doug. Big Lots getting back out of Canada. 25 October 2014. Columbus Business First. American City Business Journals. 5 December 2013.