Big Lots set to close additional locations after entering sale agreement, filing for bankruptcy

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Big Lots, Inc. today announced that it has entered into an agreement with an affiliate of Nexus Capital Management LP, pursuant to which Nexus has agreed to acquire substantially all of the Company’s assets and ongoing business operations. To facilitate the transaction, the Company, together with each of its subsidiaries, initiated voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. During and after this process, Big Lots will continue to serve customers at their nearest store location or online at biglots.com.

Bruce Thorn, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are proud of the work we do every day across Big Lots to provide our customers with unmistakable value and exceptional savings, as well as building stronger communities through our philanthropic efforts. The actions we are taking today will enable us to move forward with new owners who believe in our business and provide financial stability, while we optimize our operational footprint, accelerate improvement in our performance, and deliver on our promise to be the leader in extreme value.”

Thorn continued, “We appreciate the tremendous loyalty of our customers, and our core purpose of helping them ‘Live BIG and Save LOTS’ has never been stronger. As we move through this process, we remain committed to offering extreme bargains, enabling easy shopping in our stores and online, and providing an outstanding customer experience. We are grateful for the hard work and dedication of our associates who remain focused on delivering the best service possible for our valued customers, and we deeply appreciate the partnership of our vendors as we start a new chapter for our business.”

Evan Glucoft, Managing Director of Nexus, said, “We are excited to have the opportunity to partner with Big Lots and help return this iconic brand to its status as America’s leading extreme value retailer. The Big Lots business has incredible potential, and we are confident that its greatest days are ahead.”

As part of the court-supervised sale process, the Company is continuing to assess its operational footprint, which will include closing additional store locations. The Company will also continue to evaluate and optimize its distribution center model.

Thorn added, “Though the majority of our store locations are profitable, we intend to move forward with a more focused footprint to ensure that we operate efficiently and are best positioned to serve our customers. To accomplish this, we intend to use the tools afforded by this process to continue optimizing our store fleet in an orderly manner.”

Big Lots currently has locations in Swansea, Raynham, Fairhaven, Seekonk, Attleboro, Plymouth, and Warwick, Rhode Island.