Big Lots, for me, has always been just to the side of budget retail, kind of on the periphery. In my experience in the past it felt more like a closeout shop, not entirely unlike the Land of Misfit Toys, where things that weren't wanted by someone else ended up. For years I found their stock unreliable and of varying quality, so it would generally be the last place I'd go when looking for something.
But that was then.
I don't know what kind of magic has happened in the last 10 to 15 years, but Big Lots has improved *ahem* lots! Stores are cleaner than I remember, stocks are shelved.....strike that...reverse it....moving on. Merchandise quality seems to have improved.
What brought me to this location was my combination Birthday/Christmas gift from my wife (I have a December birthday). I've got a recliner that we call my "Dad Chair" that is at least 15 years old, probably closer to 20. It's tired and she said "we need to replace the Dad Chair".
Wifey is great at research and we visited a couple other furniture outlets before we got to Big Lots. Nothing really worked for me at the other places, then we went to Big Lots.
I was impressed with the furniture selection at this location. I was not expecting thar much variety. I tried out every single recliner in the place and settled on one pretty quickly.
Britt helped us through the sale process, which was amazingly easy. Then she told us where to meet her around the side of the building to get the chair, which was still in the box.
By the time we drove around back she was waiting there with the chair. Since the box was, like, enormous, we had to take it out of the box to put it in my car. Britt helped with that, too, unboxing that chair like a champ and even assisted getting it into the car.
I was 100% impressed with this Big Lots experience and with Britt, who was very personable and very funny. read more
