Two Big Lots stores in Eynon and Dunmore quietly reopened Thursday.
The discount retail chain reopened 54 locations across multiple states on Thursday, with more stores set to open in two weeks on May 15, according to Big Lots’ website and a news release this week.
Big Lots Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September and subsequently closed its stores throughout the country, shuttering in mid-March its locations at 866 Scranton Carbondale Highway in Archbald’s Eynon section and at 1010 O’Neill Highway in Dunmore.
However, those local closures were only temporary under new ownership.
The Henderson, North Carolina-based Variety Wholesalers Inc. acquired 219 Big Lots stores out of bankruptcy, including the Eynon and Dunmore locations. Variety Wholesalers’ other brands are Roses Discount Stores, Roses Express and Maxway. Last month, Variety Wholesalers announced its plan to begin reopening Big Lots stores in four waves, starting with nine stores across six states on April 10. The Eynon and Dunmore stores were among those set to open their doors once again, though exactly when they would reopen was unclear at the time, other than Variety Wholesalers announcing it would open all locations by early June.
In a press release this week, Variety Wholesalers announced it would be reopening 132 stores across 14 states this month in two phases on May 1 and May 15.
“We’re excited to bring an additional 132 Big Lots! locations back to life in May,” Variety Wholesalers President and CEO Lisa Seigies said in the press release. “The customer response to the newly expanded assortment of fresh inventory and great deals has been overwhelmingly positive. The Big Lots! stores opening in May show our continued commitment to providing the best value to our customers with apparel for the family, everyday needs for the home, kitchen, and pantry plus a huge selection of famous brands. I couldn’t be prouder of the dedicated team who made it possible for us to serve these communities again!”
Eynon and Dunmore were two of 13 stores throughout Pennsylvania — and the only two in Northeast Pennsylvania — featured in the list of openings this month, though the press release did not specify whether they would reopen Thursday or two weeks later.
Archbald Borough Manager Dan Markey said he and other borough officials were invited this week to a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Eynon Big Lots on Thursday. Online listings for both the Eynon and Dunmore stores indicate they are open, and employees confirmed their stores were open Thursday afternoon.
The Eynon Big Lots is now the second store to open this week along the borough’s Business Route 6 corridor, Markey said. The Value Village Market, 600 Scranton Carbondale Highway, suite 100, opened Sunday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that drew a large crowd, Markey said. The new market is located at what used to be the Tractor Supply in the Sugarman’s Plaza, after Tractor Supply relocated to a nearby building in an adjacent plaza, colloquially known as the Burlington Plaza.
According to its Facebook page, Value Village Market describes itself as a grocery and discount store.
Markey noted his enthusiasm for the two nearby stores opening days apart.
“I’m really optimistic that they’ll be able to coexist there,” he said.
The new Big Lots and Value Village bolster a stretch of Business Route 6 that has had multiple businesses either close or relocate in recent years. Those include P&R Discounts, Burlington after it relocated to Dickson City, Kost Tire & Auto relocating less than a mile south, the Sugarman’s Plaza flea market and Burger King.
Hoping to attract more businesses to fill out the commercial corridor in Eynon, Markey said companies look at traffic counts when selecting new sites. If the two new stores can help increase traffic on that corridor, it could bring in even more business, he said.
“The more businesses we can get to thrive up there, the better, and competition is good for one another,” Markey said. “Change begets change, and enthusiasm begets enthusiasm. Hopefully soon enough we can start to see the restoration of Eynon and the Scranton Carbondale Highway.”
Big Lots plans to hold grand opening celebrations for its stores in the fall.