I can find things I can't find anywhere else but Big Lots. It's close for me to shop from my house.

Big Lots has been going downhill for a long time. I have shopped at the one in Hville,NC since the day it opened. Bad service on the Mgrs part when I tried to get a refund on an overcharge. Even Laughed at me. read more

When I was real solidly middle class, I thought that the "big lots" stores of the world were more for poor people - and I tried to stay with established, first-tier stores. But my son has used the Big Lots store in Louisville to very good advantage. He bought a whole living room set there and was pleased with the price and the quality. After a wave of "downward mobility", brought on by my retirement from my grocery store cashier job, I am now relying completely on Social Security for my monthly budget. I have needed to get more creative in how I shop. I have had very good luck with "3rd tier" grocery stores that use the "big lots" model for acquiring their products. The Amazing Savings store in Asheville does not attempt to have the same broad selection as a first-tier grocery store chain like the Ingle's Supermarkets here in Asheville, the Kroger's chain in Louisville, or the Jewel chain in my sweet home Chicago. The BiLo stores, Aldi's and such still approximate a full-service grocery store, but offer better prices by using other stores' overstock and almost-out-of-date products. The Amazing Savings stores, The Price Is Right in Spruce Pine and others can offer some shockingly low prices by abandoning all pretense of being a full-service store and basically saying "What you see is what you get." At the Big Lots in Weaverville this afternoon, I didn't know exactly what I was looking for - just "something I can use to draw attention to my poetry booth at an arts fair on Saturday". Cashier/Sales Associate Tracie was not busy and listened very patiently as I brainstormed the desired purpose of my purchase: "to draw attention and get people to stop in front of me." I am on a real lean budget and need to get creative here. I may eventually build a little booth that I could truck around with me, like my Asheville friend Elle Erickson - the "Booth Lady" - but for now I needed something quick, cheap and very portable. I wandered around the store, searching for inspiration - and finally ignited when I saw a little mesh bag containing two Frisbees and a colorful tennis ball. I took my little treasures back up front to Tracie. I asked her, "Do you have a couple of minutes for me to explain why I think these will work to get people to stop at my booth?" There was no one else in line at that point and Tracey was glad to try to get on board with my fantasy. She obviously had a really good imagination, because she definitely went there with me. I don't have enough characters in this review to take you through all that. I will probably write it up - and maybe shoot a video - if I do finally busk at the fair on Saturday. If I do that, I probably will post it to my personal blog, healingvalidations.com. I discovered that you have to shop smart in the "big lots" stores. Certain products are not much of a bargain at all, though if you get a "big quantity/lot", you do much better. Tracie still had no one else in her checkout line - and showed genuine understanding for why I bought the 54-oz bottle of Twin Leaf iced tea instead of the 18 oz bottle. I also took the risk that she might be interested in why I was turning down some drinks after googling one of their ingredients - And she at least did a good job of pretending to be interested. I actually think she was grateful to learn why some of the products are not as healthy as they claim to be. After this afternoon's shopping trip to Big Lots, I am now a fan. I am even moreso a fan of cashier/sales associate Tracie. She is extremely gracious and friendly, a great listener - and, just in general, really good at her job. I wish I had a business in Weaverville that I could hire her for. read more

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I enjoy going into Big Lots. Most of your day to day needs can be found at a lower price. It's not a store to find everything but that's not expected. I would ask you announce when you will have 20% off days in advance. read more

Big Lots is a very depressing shopping experience, indeed. One of America's saddest chain stores. The Weaverville Big Lots experience is typical of Big Lots experiences, writ large. But this Big Lots, in particular, manages to raise (lower) the bar on shopping misery because it's located right next door to a Rose's, which is the undisputed world champion in depressing discount shopping. Imagine. One strip mall in a tiny NC town, housing both the Sovereign and the Prince Regent of retail despair. A noteworthy accomplishment, like a royal flush in Poker, except your prize isn't cash. No, fool! Your prize is oceans of dodgy merchandise, flickering tube lights, and unidentifiable odors. Big Lots is approximately two blocks down from the Weaverville Walmart, which is, part and parcel, the reason why I do like to shop at Big Lots. As a way of giving Walmart the finger from afar. Furthermore: Some days, when I feel down, I think "what can I do to add some perspective to this situation? To really see how bad things could be, and, by comparison, how good I still have it." On those days I like to pay a quick visit to the Big Lots home decor section and imagine having to live with some of those burgundy polyester damask curtains in my house. According to the "gate control theory" of pain perception, this added noxious input should have the paradoxical effect of making me forget my worries. At least, that's my hope. Once I bought an extension cord at this Big Lots. It was a full two dollars cheaper than it was at the Lowe's down the street. That was the pinnacle of my Big Lots shopping experience to date. I'm feeling generous today. So: I'm giving Big Lots an extra star it did nothing to earn, because hey, at least it's not Walmart. read more

It's almost embarrassing how much I enjoy going into this store, guilty pleasure, strolling through horrible smelling stuff from China just to be thrown away after a couple uses. I truly sometimes just look , but it happens that I buy things. Like the outdoor light chains that have a solar charger, cheap and great I love them in my garden. Of course it's all about evil capitalism and feeds the throw away mentality but sometimes there are some surprising finds, companies that you don't expect offer their wares here , like Bobs Red Mill , I like their stuff I almost toured their company building in Oregon once. Then I have to admit that 5$ reading glasses is pretty much a steal. The people that work here are also utterly surprising they are sooooo friendly and cheerful that I avoid eye contact sometimes just to not give them the idea I look for something specific and need help. Parking is plentiful next door are groceries if I have a need for cheap crap this is my go to . read more