Big Lots opened its first Middle Peninsula store last week and will hold a grand opening ceremony at 9 a.m. Friday. The discount department store is located in the Shoppes of Gloucester, off Route 17 south of Gloucester Court House.
During Friday’s opening ceremonies, Big Lots officials will present a check for $2,500 to Gloucester High School, store manager Danny Landen said. Corporate officials will tour the 25,000-square-foot store (which once housed a Winn-Dixie supermarket) with Gloucester Board of Supervisors’ chairman Buddy Rilee, sheriff Steve Gentry and other invited guests, who will participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Giveaways are also planned for shoppers coming in that day.
Big Lots specializes in offering a varying selection of products procured in close-outs, Landen said. Also, the company offers many gourmet-quality private label food products at discount prices such as snacks and grocery staples.
The new store stocks many types of packaged foods, but doesn’t carry fresh produce, meats, diary or frozen foods. Landen said a popular section is the large furniture department of each store, which stocks top brands of furniture and features Serta brand mattresses. Other sections of the store are stocked with electronics, domestic wares and other products.
"Customers are looking for bargains, especially in this tough economy," said Steve Burton of Newport News, district manager for Big Lots. Burton, who oversees operations of 13 stores throughout eastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, said that Big Lots continually looks to procure bargains for its customers, although it’s not always possible to stock the same items in each store.
"Easy-to-shop stores and unbelievable deals have been big hits with customers for more than 40 years and we are thrilled to bring that same successful concept to a new group of shoppers" to the new Gloucester store, said Rob Claxton, senior vice president of marketing for the Columbus, Ohio-based company.
Big Lots currently operates 1,415 stores in the 48 contiguous United States, corporate spokesman Toni Fink said, along with approximately 90 Liquidation World and LW stores it has acquired in Canada.
Landen said the Gloucester store is an "above average" size store. This store is one of 90 that Big Lots plans to open in 2011.
Landen heads a staff of more than 70. Assistant managers are Paul Colwell of Hayes, and Courtney Walden of Newport News. Associate managers are Angie Ortiz of Yorktown, and Tonya Cade of King and Queen County. Diane Succio of Gloucester, is the furniture manager.