Big Lots national chain announces closure of all stores

LEWISTON — It was business as usual Friday at Lewiston’s Big Lots store despite a news release on the national chain’s website that all stores are closing.

Big Lots does not believe it will complete a previously announced purchase agreement with Nexus Capital Management, according to a Big Lots news release issued Thursday.

“The company is preparing to commence going out of business sales at all remaining Big Lots store locations in the coming days to protect the value of its estate,” according to the news release.

Big Lots is still working on an alternative transaction with Nexus or another party.

“The company believes that the (going out of business) sales will not preclude it from effectuating a going concern transaction,” according to the news release.

Employees at Lewiston’s Big Lots said they had heard all Big Lots would be closing, but had not been provided details, such as when the Lewiston store would close. There was no banner outside the store as of Friday morning announcing a going-out-of-business sale.

But a banner was running across the national website of Big Lots stating “All Stores Closing. Now Save Up To 50% Off Entire Store.” Underneath it listed categories such as furniture, toys, grocery, and health and wellness.

Going forward, Big Lots will provide updates as it continues to serve customers online and in its brick-and-mortar stores, according to the news release.

Big Lots is one of the nation’s largest closeout retailers focused on “extreme value” sourcing items for the home such as furniture, decor and pantry staples through closeouts, liquidations and overstocks, according to the news release.

The Lewiston store is one of more than 950 in more than 45 states. Its Idaho and Washington locations include Coeur d’Alene and Kennewick.

Big Lots debuted in 2012 in the Lewiston Center Mall, in a spot that had housed Sears before that store left the shopping center.

When Big Lots arrived, it carried an inventory varied enough that a person could outfit an entire home with furniture and decor from its shelves, according to one of its managers.

The departure of Big Lots from the mall comes at a time when the tenants of the commercial space are changing.

A remodeling project for a 40,000-square-foot Hobby Lobby is on track to be completed on time in the spring, but no opening date has been established yet, said Billy Jeffrey Scharnhorst, the mall’s manager, in a text.

A loading dock is almost ready before the construction crews move inside, Scharnhorst said.

Hobby Lobby will be in a space that housed J.C. Penney in the enclosed section of the mall. It will join a 24,000-square-foot Planet Fitness that opened this year, filling a little more than half of a former Macy’s.

Williams can be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.