Local Big Lots makes bad list

Published 8:00 am Friday, February 7, 2025

The final nail in the coffin has not officially come down, but it’s not looking good for the future of the Milledgeville Big Lots store. 

The location appeared on a recent list of Big Lots leases up for sale through liquidation company Gordon Brothers Retail Partners. In addition, the Milledgeville store is not among the 200 or so Big Lots leases being transferred to Variety Wholesalers, the North Carolina-based owner of Roses that agreed to acquire and continue operating between 200 and 400 Big Lots stores at the end of 2024. The 200 stores were identified in a bankruptcy court filing earlier this week. 

Though there had been no official word as of Wednesday, the local store’s inclusion on the sale list and exclusion on the other make it unlikely that the Milledgeville store will remain open beyond its ongoing liquidation process. Merchandise is marked down between 10 and 40% with amounts differing by department. Store fixtures and counters are being sold off as well. 

Milledgeville Big Lots, located in the Old Capitol Square shopping center on North Columbia Street, is one of 26 stores whose leases are for sale in Georgia. The Milledgeville location was not among the first phase of stores on that list a few weeks ago but was one of 11 added as part of a second phase released at the end of last week. Other Georgia Big Lots leases for sale include the Macon, Dublin and Warner Robins locations. 

Thirteen lucky stores are staying in the Peach State, including Covington, Statesboro, and Vidalia. According to Fast Company, a Gordon Brothers spokesperson has said the list of 200 stores staying open across the country is not final and more could be added. 

This is all part of what has been a rollercoaster few months for Big Lots. The company in September filed for bankruptcy. Just before Christmas, Big Lots corporate announced that a planned sale to Nexus Capital Management fell through. Soon after, going out of business sales launched at Big Lots’ 900 locations around the country, including the one in Milledgeville. 

Two days after Christmas, an alternative deal was reached where Gordon Brothers, who was handling the liquidation, agreed to transfer some Big Lots assets to Variety Wholesalers. Variety Wholesalers owns more than 400 retail stores in the southeastern and mid-Atlantic United States under the Roses, Roses Express, Maxway, Bill’s Dollar Stores and other discount retail banners. 

As part of the deal, Variety Wholesalers said it would acquire between 200 and 400 Big Lots stores to continue operating under the Big Lots brand. Then it became a waiting game as thousands of employees waited to see if their stores would be saved or get the axe. According to the Big Lots Milledgeville manager, just under 20 people are employed at the local store. The store’s current hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.