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Waynesboro: Big Lots back in the ‘Boro; fate of Harrisonburg location unknown

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Ten Big Lots stores will reopen in Virginia in May, and the list includes the West Main Street location in Waynesboro.

In April, nine stores nationwide reopened including one in Virginia: the Hershberger Road location in Roanoke.

The new owners of the discount franchise, Variety Wholesalers, announced they are reopening 132 stores in the month of May. They are expected to reopen a total of 219 locations in May and June.

In Virginia, the list to reopen in May includes:

  • Chesapeake
  • Chester
  • Fredericksburg
  • Front Royal
  • Martinsville
  • North Chesterfield
  • North Prince George
  • Waynesboro
  • Winchester
  • Yorktown

The stores slated for reopening this month should be back in business no later than May 15. The fate of the Harrisonburg Big Lots store has not been announced by the retailer.

“We’re excited to bring an additional 132 Big Lots locations back to life in May,” said Lisa Seigies, president and CEO of Variety Wholesalers.

“The customer response to the newly expanded assortment of fresh inventory and great deals has been overwhelmingly positive,” she said. “The Big Lots stores opening in May show our continued commitment to providing the best value to our customers.”

Other locations nationwide to open by May 15 include:

  • Alabama: Athens, Decatur, Dothan, Guntersville, Jasper, Mobile, Northport
  • Florida: Crystal River, Jacksonville, Marianna, Ormond Beach, Panama City
  • Georgia: Augusta, Brunswick, Buford, Cornelia, Dallas, Fort Oglethorpe, Marietta, Smyrna, Valdosta, Vidalia, Waycross
  • Indiana: Jasper
  • Kentucky: Campbellsville, Danville, Elizabethtown, Glasgow, Hazard, London, Middlesboro, Richmond, Somerset
  • Michigan: Burton, Flint, Port Huron, Shelby Township, Southgate
  • Mississippi: Southhaven
  • North Carolina: Belmont, Burlington, Clemmons, Dunn, Elizabeth City, Elkin, Fayetteville, Gastonia, Greensboro, Greenville, Hickory, Kinston, Lexington, Lincolnton, Mocksville, Mooresville, Mount Airy, Newton, Roanoke Rapids, Rocky Mount, Selma, Shelby, Southport, Statesville, Wake Forest, Wilkesboro, Wilson
  • Ohio: Alliance, Boardman, Bridgeport, Columbus, Elyria, Fremont, Grove City, Kettering, Lancaster, New Philadelphia, Reynoldsburg, Toledo, Warren, Wintersville
  • Pennsylvania: Bloomsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, Du Bois, Dunmore, East Stroudsburg, Erie, Eynon, Franklin, Lehighton, Lewisburg, Meadville, New Castle
  • South Carolina: Easley, Greenwood, Lexington, Rock Hill, Seneca, Simpsonville, Spartanburg, West Columbia
  • Tennessee: Alcoa, Cleveland, Greeneville, Jefferson City, Johnson City, Knoxville, Morristown, Murfreesboro, Rogersville, Sevierville
  • West Virginia: Beckley, Bridgeport, Charleston, Elkins, Fairmont, Martinsburg, Oak Hill, Princeton

A grand opening celebration is planned this fall for all Big Lots stores.

Big Lots began liquidating assets at locations in December. Gordon Brothers Retail Partners LLC purchased the stores and then transferred stores to Variety Wholesalers.

A deal with Nexus Capital Management to purchase the stores fell through.

Big Lots entered into Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in September blaming inflation and interest rates for its demise and saying core customers had “curbed their discretionary spending.”

Variety Wholesalers also operates Roses, Roses Express and Maxway.

More information is available at biglots.com.


Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.