Big Lots will soon determine its next step after recently filing for bankruptcy protection.

According to Fast Company, retail company Variety Wholesalers is set to take over many of Big Lots’ locations. A spokesperson told Fast Company that the North Carolina-based company will assume control of several locations in the South and Midwest. According to the spokesperson, Variety Wholesalers has implemented a tentative plan for the “soft openings.”

Before filing for bankruptcy, Big Lots had more than 800 locations. Earlier this month, a bankruptcy filing revealed that Variety expects to take over 200 locations. However, the court has not yet assigned all the stores. Big Lots has been holding going-out-of-business sales in recent months while preparing to close its stores.

When will some Big Lots stores reopen?

Jeff King, Variety’s vice president of sales and marketing, said the company expects to start its soft openings in four separate waves beginning in April and will go through June. King noted that the timeline could change. Currently, the states with the most Big Lots locations are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Many of these stores will now be transferred to Variety.

Variety also owns Roses, Maxway, Super 10, and several other retail chains. In 2024, the company revealed its plan to acquire at least 200 Big Lots locations. According to Variety, the deal is part of its partnership with liquidation firm Gordon Brothers, which is managing store closures after purchasing Big Lots.

According to El Adelantado,, Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to financial struggles. The company experienced a $114.5 million drop in sales from 2023 to 2024, El Adelantado reported. Adding to its challenges, Big Lots is facing $3.1 billion in debt.

“Most of our stores remain profitable, but we’re shifting toward a more streamlined operation to stay efficient and better serve our customers,” CEO Bruce Thorn said, according to El Adelantado.

List of 200 stores Big Lots could reopen:

Alabama

1619 Town Sq SW, Cullman, Ala.
5363 Hwy 90 W, Ste C, Mobile, Ala.
603 US Hwy 72 W, Athens, Ala.
1820 6th Ave SE, Decatur, Ala.
1100 Hwy 78 W, Jasper, Ala.
5510 McFarland Blvd, Northport, Ala.

Florida

3401 13th St, Ste 100, Saint Cloud, Fla.
146 SE US Highway 19, Crystal River, Fla.
4901 Palm Beach Blvd, Ste 230, Fort Myers, Fla.
13970 N Cleveland Ave, North Fort Myers, Fla.
843 W Bloomingdale Ave, Brandon, Fla.
122 S Nova Rd, Ormond Beach, Fla.
9119 Merrill Rd, Ste 50, Jacksonville, Fla.
3048 E College Ave, Ruskin, Fla.
6247 Highway 90, Milton, Fla.
2384 Commercial Way, Spring Hill, Fla.
4700 Highway 90, Marianna, Fla.
225 S Tyndall Pkwy, Callaway, Fla.

Georgia

127 Commerce Ave, LaGrange, Ga.
110 E Northside Dr, Valdosta, Ga.
2305 E 1st St, Vidalia, Ga.
3791 S Cobb Dr SE, Ste G, Smyrna, Ga.
3111 Highway 278 NW, Covington, Ga.
1803 Knight Ave, Ste A2, Waycross, Ga.
260 Merchants Square, Dallas, Ga.
13 Lester Rd, Ste C, Statesboro, Ga.
323 Habersham Village Cir, Cornelia, Ga.
4420 Altama Ave, Ste C2, Brunswick, Ga.
2932 Canton Rd, Ste 210, Marietta, Ga.
4125 Highway 20, Ste A-2, Buford, Ga.
558 Battlefield Pkwy, Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.

Ohio

2837 Winchester Pike, Columbus, Ohio
498 Cadiz Rd, Wintersville, Ohio
9025 Ohio River Rd, Wheelersburg, Ohio
1965 W State St, Alliance, Ohio
3961 Hoover Rd, Grove City, Ohio
3946 W Alexis Rd, Toledo, Ohio
408 Bluebell Dr NW, New Philadelphia, Ohio
12588 Rockside Rd, Cleveland, Ohio
7100 South Ave, Youngstown, Ohio
400 Silver Bridge Plaza, Gallipolis, Ohio
1336 Whipple Ave NW, Canton, Ohio
4331 Mahoning Ave NW, Warren, Ohio
8489 Market St, Mentor, Ohio
1890 W Market St, Suite #500, Akron, Ohio
405 Howe Ave, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
426 East Waterloo Rd, Akron, Ohio
6300 E Livingston Ave, Reynoldsburg, Ohio
1800 E State St, Fremont, Ohio
3640 Werk Rd, Cincinnati, Ohio
56104 National Rd, Bridgeport, Ohio
367 County Rd 406, Ste B, South Point, Ohio
825 Cleveland St, Elyria, Ohio
10560 Harrison Ave, Harrison, Ohio
110 S 7th St, Marietta, Ohio
2050 E Dorothy Ln, Kettering, Ohio
1700 E Main St, Lancaster, Ohio
241 W Wooster Rd, Barberton, Ohio

Michigan

659 24th St, Port Huron, Mich.
5112 Miller Rd, Flint, Mich.
7651 23 Mile Rd, Shelby Township, Mich.
14333 Eureka Rd, Southgate, Mich.
4157 E Court St, Burton, Mich.

Mississippi

5778 Hwy 80 E, Pearl, Miss.
2605 W Main St, Tupelo, Miss.

Indiana

195 S US Hwy 231, Jasper, Ind.

Kentucky

200 Sycamore St, Ste 151, Elizabethtown, Ky.
472 Eastern Bypass, Richmond, Ky.
86 Appalachian Plaza, South Williamson, Ky.
294 Village Ln, Hazard, Ky.
1714 Perryville Rd, Ste 400, Danville, Ky.
1342 Indian Mound Dr, Mount Sterling, Ky.
845 S Main St, London, Ky.
400 Campbellsville Bypass, Campbellsville, Ky.
102 N 12th St, Middlesboro, Ky.

Louisiana

755 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Metairie, La.

Pennsylvania

2611 Ellwood Rd, New Castle, Pa.
11628 Penn Hills Dr, Pittsburgh, Pa.
697 Allegheny Blvd, Franklin, Pa.
1425 Scalp Ave, Ste 130, Johnstown, Pa.
750 Ohio River Blvd, Rochester, Pa.
3437 Simpson Ferry Rd, Camp Hill, Pa.
2444 Philadelphia St, Indiana, Pa.
467 W Penn Ave, Cleona, Pa.
820 Water St, Meadville, Pa.
2140 White St, York, Pa.
2431 Columbia Blvd, Bloomsburg, Pa.
1010 O’Neill Hwy, Dunmore, Pa.
1241 Blakeslee Boulevard Dr E, Lehighton, Pa.
6041 State Route 30, Ste 20, Greensburg, Pa.
7405 Westbranch Hwy, Lewisburg, Pa.
1150 Carlisle St, Hanover, Pa.
156 Eagles Glen Plaza, Ste 190, East Stroudsburg, Pa.
5522 Shaffer Rd, Unit 7, DuBois, Pa.
500 Lincoln Hwy, Ste 4, Fairless Hills, Pa.
4717 McKnight Rd, Pittsburgh, Pa.
866 Scranton Carbondale Hwy, Eynon, Pa.
389 N Reading Rd, Ephrata, Pa.

North Carolina

1504 N Bridge St, Elkin, N.C.
1811 S Church St, Burlington, N.C.
1328 Carter St, Mount Airy, N.C.
4600 Main St, Ste 1, Shallotte, N.C.
526C US Highway 70 SW, Hickory, N.C.
100 Westwood Village Dr, Clemmons, N.C.
838 Winston Rd, Lexington, N.C.
1403 S Pollock St, Selma, N.C.

South Carolina

207 Oconee Square Dr, Seneca, S.C.
1000 N Pine St, Spartanburg, S.C.
1023A S Pendleton St, Easley, S.C.
1370 S Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
339 Bypass 72 NW, Greenwood, S.C.

Tennessee

3110 E Oakland Ave, Johnson City, Tenn.
420 Park Blvd, Rogersville, Tenn.
1301 S James Campbell Blvd, Columbia, Tenn.

Virginia

1090 Millwood Pike, Winchester, Va.
1090 Bypass Rd, Vinton, Va.
4300 Portsmouth Blvd, Chesapeake, Va.

West Virginia

1350 Stafford Dr, Princeton, W.Va.
104 Thompson Dr, Bridgeport, W.Va.
110 Eagle School Rd, Martinsburg, W.Va.