By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — The Warsaw Big Lots store — opened less than two years ago — is among many being closed, according to various reports.
The store opened in November of 2022, marking a return to the local market after the company left more than a dozen years earlier.
A manager at the store Saturday morning declined to comment and referred questions to their corporate office.
Other Indiana stores were part of a long list also expected to close.
ENAS.com reported Saturday that the “Giant retailer Big Lots is reportedly set to close almost 300 stores across the United States. The company recorded a net loss of more than $200 million for the first quarter of their fiscal year.”
The discount store company attributed the drop to a “challenging consumer environment,” the story said.
Big Lots reported a net loss of $205 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2024, which ended May 4.
The Warsaw closing is a setback for the revival of Marketplace of Warsaw shopping center, which recently announced plans to fill a third and final anchor position on the property with the future opening of Bealls.
The shopping center had been close to entirely closing several ago, but a new owner, Sullivan Wickley, worked to bring in new tenants including Planet Fitness and Gabe’s.
The store saw brisk business Saturday morning as signs announced up to 20 percent off on some items.
“It’s very surprising,” said Lisa Dubea who was shopping in the store Saturday morning with her husband, Terry.
“We knew they were closing some, but this just came.”
