By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
CLAREMONT, N.H. — While an official date has not been set, the discount retail store Big Lots will be closing its doors this fall.
A clerk at the Washington Street location told a customer that mid-October is the expected closing time, but this could be sooner if they sell out of their products. This was confirmed by the store. A sale being advertised is 20% off of limited items, and products are on sale all throughout the store.
The store, located at 216 Washington Street, is one of nearly 300 locations being closed across the country. There are six stores in the Granite State, and Claremont is the only one closing. Nine stores are closing in Connecticut, as well as five in Massachusetts, two in Vermont, and one in Maine. Big Lots has not made a statement on the closings, but they are being announced on their company website by clicking on the individual location links.
Big Lots is based in Ohio, and the Columbus Dispatch reported that the company released a loan agreement to the public that showed it would be closing up to 315 stores. On Aug. 2 there were 293 stores announcing their closure. In June the company announced that it would be closing 35 to 40 stores while opening three, showing a stark contrast in just a couple months time. Most store closings are in California, as 73 of the 109 locations are shutting their doors, according to the report by the Columbus Dispatch.
There are 1,389 Big Lots locations across the country, and the closings represent more than 20% of the stores, the Dispatch reported. There were 1,425 stores open in 2023.
The company has been dealing with financial struggles that it has disclosed publicly. According to the Quarter 1 Security and Exchange Commission report, net sales decreased $114.5 million, or 10.2% from the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of this year.
The Eagle Times attempted to contact Big Lots by telephone and in person locally and through the company’s corporate office. Inquiries pertained to the reason for the specific closing of the Claremont location. Store personnel were told not to talk to the press on the matter.
Attempts to reach Communications Strategist Josh Chaney were unsuccessful. Multiple voicemails and emails were not returned.
