Big Lots
Big Lots is a U.S. discount closeout retailer operating 219 stores across 15 states and an e-commerce site, selling brand-name furniture, electronics, home goods, and seasonal merchandise at deep discounts under Variety Wholesalers ownership following its 2024 bankruptcy and 2025 acquisition.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersColumbus, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Big Lots does
Big Lots is a U.S. discount closeout retailer that sells brand-name merchandise at 20-70% below regular retail prices across furniture, electronics, home decor, bedding, apparel, pet supplies, and seasonal categories. Originally founded in 1967 and formerly NYSE-listed (ticker BIG), the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2024 after a prior agreement with Nexus Capital Management failed to close, and was subsequently acquired by Variety Wholesalers, Inc. in 2025 in a deal structured by Gordon Brothers. Variety Wholesalers, a Pope-family-owned discount operator founded in 1930 that runs 400+ stores across 18 states (including Roses Discount Stores, Maxway, Super 10, and Bill's Dollar Store), now operates the Big Lots brand as a subsidiary.
The business model is built on a closeout/bargain sourcing engine targeting roughly 75% of assortment from excess inventory, with the remaining 25% comprising regular closeout-driven merchandise. Distribution runs through 219 reopened physical stores across 15 Midwest, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic states plus a transactional e-commerce storefront at biglots.com; new stores continue to open (e.g., Tiffin, OH, June 2026 grand opening). Revenue is generated entirely through one-time retail product sales with no subscription or recurring component, and the customer base is highly fragmented across budget-conscious and value-oriented general consumers.
Operationally, Big Lots leverages Variety Wholesalers' shared retail infrastructure for sourcing and overhead, and has prioritized brand rebuild through partnerships such as the reintroduction of Signature Design by Ashley Furniture (February 2026) and the launch of "The BIG! Protection Plan" with Mulberry (January 2026). The Columbus, Ohio headquarters was divested to OhioHealth in February 2025 as part of post-bankruptcy asset rationalization, while store-support operations consolidated to Henderson, North Carolina. No proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capability is evidenced; systems are described as standard retail e-commerce and inventory management tooling.
Big Lots firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big Lots
- Legal name
- Variety Wholesalers, Inc.
- Website
- https://biglots.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Big Lots is a U.S. discount closeout retailer operating 219 stores across 15 states and an e-commerce site, selling brand-name furniture, electronics, home goods, and seasonal merchandise at deep discounts under Variety Wholesalers ownership following its 2024 bankruptcy and 2025 acquisition.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Big Lots industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Discount Retail
- NAICS
- All Other General Merchandise Retailers (455219), Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters, and Other General Merchandise Retailers (45521)
- SIC
- Retail-Variety Stores (5331), Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Variety & Household Basics Stores (CRAGAJAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Off-Price Toys, Games & Family General Merchandise Retail (CRAEACAG)
Keywords
Where Big Lots is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Big Lots business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Product Sales: Revenue generated through direct retail sales of discounted merchandise including closeout items, excess inventory, and brand-name products sold at reduced prices in physical stores and via e-commerce.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Discount retail pricing model |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Big Lots product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Big Lots is a U.S. discount closeout retailer that sells brand-name merchandise across categories including furniture, electronics, home décor, bed & bath, pet supplies, seasonal items, kids' apparel, accessories, and toys at 20–70% below regular retail prices. The company operates 219+ physical stores across 15 states and an e-commerce website, with approximately 75% of the assortment targeted as closeout/bargain merchandise.
Product overview
Big Lots is a discount closeout retailer that operates both physical stores and an e-commerce platform. The company offers a wide range of discounted brand-name merchandise across multiple categories including furniture (featuring Signature Design by Ashley®), electronics, home decor, bed & bath, pet supplies, seasonal items, kids' apparel, accessories, and toys. Following its 2025 acquisition by Variety Wholesalers Inc., the new Big Lots operates approximately 219 stores across 15 states in the Midwest, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic regions. The business model emphasizes closeout merchandise, weekly deals, and brand-name products at discounted prices through both in-store and online channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Big Lots Online Store
- Weekly Deals Recurring weekly promotional program offering limited-time deals and closeout bargains on brand-name merchandise, available both in-store and online.
- Furniture & Mattresses Home furniture assortment including the Signature Design by Ashley® collection with sofas, dining sets, mattresses, and bedroom furniture offered at discounted prices for value-oriented consumers.
- Electronics Discounted consumer electronics assortment including RCA Bluetooth headphones, Monster LED light strips, Armor All cables, Barbasol grooming electronics, and Crayola karaoke speakers.
- Bed & Bath Discounted bedding and bathroom assortment including Serta jumbo bed pillows and 11-inch knot pillows for budget-conscious consumers.
- Pet Supplies Discounted pet care assortment including AKC orthopedic crate mats, Realtree camo pet beds, Dentalife dog treats, puppy training pads, and stainless steel pet bowls.
- The BIG! Protection Plan Extended product protection plan offered in partnership with Mulberry, providing customers with peace-of-mind coverage for products purchased at Big Lots.
Quantifiable outcome
- 78% customer satisfaction rating ranking 2nd among major discount stores
Companies that use Big Lots
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Big Lots technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Big Lots partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Ashley Furniture (Signature Design by Ashley)coreBig Lots reintroduced Signature Design by Ashley Furniture to stores nationwide following Variety Wholesalers' acquisition. The expanded furniture collection includes sofas, dining sets, mattresses, and bedroom furniture, emphasizing style and affordability.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Big Lots competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TJX Companies (TJ Maxx / Marshalls / HomeGoods): TJX is the largest U.S. off-price apparel and home retailer (TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Sierra). It is the most direct competitor to Big Lots in treasure-hunt closeout retail, serving overlapping value-driven consumers with brand-name merchandise at discounted prices across home, apparel, and accessories.
- Five Below: Five Below is a U.S. discount retailer targeting teens and value-focused families with extreme-value price points across toys, home, beauty, and seasonal merchandise. It competes in the same discount/treasure-hunt value proposition, though skewing toward younger demographics and lower ticket sizes.
- Ross Stores: Ross operates off-price retail stores (Ross Dress for Less, dd's DISCOUNTS) selling apparel, home, and beauty products at discounted prices. Its closeout/bargain model, value-shopper target, and multi-category assortment closely mirror Big Lots' positioning.
- Dollar General: Dollar General is one of the largest U.S. small-format discount retailers serving rural and suburban value shoppers. It overlaps with Big Lots in serving budget-conscious consumers but skews more toward consumables and everyday essentials rather than closeout home/furniture.
- Burlington Stores: Burlington is an off-price retailer of apparel, home, and accessories targeting value-conscious shoppers. It ranked just below Big Lots in the 2024 ACSI discount store rankings (76% vs 78%) and competes directly in the same treasure-hunt, closeout-driven format.
- Ollie's Bargain Outlet: Ollie's is a closeout retailer selling brand-name merchandise at deep discounts across books, housewares, furniture, food, and electronics. Its closeout sourcing model and treasure-hunt merchandising make it one of the closest direct comparables to Big Lots in both business model and assortment mix.
- Dollar Tree: Dollar Tree is a fixed-price-point discount retailer (including Family Dollar post-divestiture) carrying a broad mix of general merchandise, seasonal, and household goods. It serves the same value-conscious consumer base as Big Lots across multi-category discount retail.
Broad incumbents
- Walmart: Walmart is the largest U.S. discount retailer and competes with Big Lots across virtually every category (furniture, home, electronics, apparel, seasonal). Its scale, supply chain, and pricing power make it a dominant benchmark for what value-conscious consumers expect on price and assortment.
- HomeGoods (TJX): HomeGoods, part of TJX, is a major off-price home furnishings and decor retailer. It competes directly with Big Lots in furniture and home decor at discounted prices and benefits from the broader TJX scale and sourcing power.
- Costco Wholesale: Costco is a global warehouse club selling general merchandise, furniture, electronics, and household goods at bulk/membership-discounted prices. While a different format, it competes for value-driven U.S. shoppers and exerts pricing pressure on multi-category discount retailers like Big Lots.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Big Lots social profiles
Digital presenceBig Lots financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big Lots leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Big Lots funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big Lots M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Big Lots
What does Big Lots do?
Big Lots is a U.S. discount closeout retailer that sells brand-name merchandise across categories including furniture, electronics, home décor, bed & bath, pet supplies, seasonal items, kids' apparel, accessories, and toys at 20–70% below regular retail prices. The company operates 219+ physical stores across 15 states and an e-commerce website, with approximately 75% of the assortment targeted as closeout/bargain merchandise.
Is Big Lots a public or private company?
Big Lots is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Big Lots founded?
Big Lots was founded in 1967. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Big Lots based?
Big Lots is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.
How does Big Lots make money?
One revenue line is on record: retail Product Sales.
Who are Big Lots's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TJX Companies (TJ Maxx / Marshalls / HomeGoods), Five Below, Ross Stores, Dollar General, Burlington Stores, Ollie's Bargain Outlet and Dollar Tree. Broad incumbents are Walmart, HomeGoods (TJX) and Costco Wholesale.
Does Big Lots have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big Lots.
What industry is Big Lots in?
Big Lots's product category is Discount Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAGAJAH, General Variety & Household Basics Stores, with a secondary code of CRAEACAG, Off-Price Toys, Games & Family General Merchandise Retail. Its NAICS code is 455219 and its SIC code is 5331.