I'm picturing these two tired guys sitting at a table, trying to come up with a name for their store, and one just goes, "I dunno, dude, it's big," and the other one is like, "I know dude, it's a lot," and then one of their wives sarcastically says they should name it Big Lot, and they blink at each other a lot before adding on an 's' and changing the story so it sounds like they had planned it all along. I love when the name of the store tells you exactly what you are coming into.
I had gone into a Big Lots a few times in my youth, but after discovering it off the Tonawanda trail, I gave it a go. And I regretted little me missing out on all the great deals they had to offer. I was devastated when they closed for remodeling. It had become habit to make the walk to Big Lots for a snack run, because their prices were super cheap for what you would get. (Well, that, and I really love snacks.)
When they reopened, I did a little hop of hope that they would be as great as when they had said goodbye. Now when you walk in, home decor is to your side, and a maze of furniture blocks your easy access to the goodies. No longer do you merely turn left past the registers to find groceries able to fill your cupboards on the dregs of your paycheck. Instead you'll find seasonal, and if you trek far enough, toys. The variety is still as wide, but all jumbled up in a fight to sell you a couch, because why rent furniture from their competitor down the plaza when you can just get your own? It's a bit crowded for my liking, but for the adults that are coming in for more than a candy dash or because they need to stock up on detergent, I get it.
There's an end cap in grocery that has reduced sales, and if you're lucky like I've been, you can get some wickedly delicious deals. Other times it is a total bust, but that's the game.
Recently they upgraded to a more confined register lane, and I am not a fan. I tend to travel with my backpack, and when I don't find anything I want, I feel kinda sketchy leaving through the entrance with a (still flat and zipped) backpack. But I'm also not going to cut through or wait in the line to say I bought nothing. They offer you a Big Lots card, at no cost, and we did get one, but have yet to use any deals. If you have the extra space on the key ring, there's no harm in it, but maybe I'm just not the type to completely empty my wallet for them when I can fill my knapsack at such a low cost.
Just a heads up, if you do plan on crossing the parking lot to the Tops side, triple check before proceeding with caution. People like to blow through from the Crunch gym in back, and they'll smash your newfound stock of chips into smithereens. read more