CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Plans to replace the Big Lots that was going out of business on Riverside Drive got complicated Thursday afternoon with surprise word that a company that is purchasing hundreds of Big Lots stores nationwide is also buying the Clarksville location.
Big Lots in Clarksville has been holding a large going-out-of-business sale for the last several weeks, with a large yellow “closing” sign across their storefront. But late Thursday afternoon, Variety Wholesalers contacted Clarksville Now and said they have purchased the location, in a last-minute decision.
“We got the keys on Monday,” Jeff King, Variety’s VP of Sales and Marketing, told Clarksville Now. “We are going to race and we’re going to soft open that store on the 10th of April, so it’s a pretty quick turnaround.” Nationwide, Variety Wholesalers has purchased 220 Big Lots locations. They will be taking over the Clarksville lease as a tenant in the building.
The Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council has been working to market the Big Lots site amid several announcements of retailers leaving the area. They have particularly been working to bring in a grocery.
Josh Ward, VP for the Industrial Development Board also heard the news for the first time Thursday afternoon. He spoke with the building owner and told Clarksville Now that the owner is still open to making space for a grocery in the shopping plaza, and those efforts will continue with some changes after the Big Lots news.
King said they purchased both the 220 leases and the intellectual property for Big Lots nationwide. “We are going to be reopening those stores; they are going to be Big Lots, they’re going to be a little bit bigger, a little bit better.”
The mix of inventory will be a little bit different, King said. They plan to carry family apparel, and focus on closeout-driven bargain merchandise. “We’re excited to stay in Clarksville,” he said.
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