Two former Big Lots stores in Delaware have a new owner – a discount retailer new to the state.
Ocean State Job Lot is acquiring 15 former Big Lots locations in eight states, including two in Delaware − in Dover and Seaford.
The company opened its first store in 1977 in Rhode Island, the “Ocean State,” and is similar to Big Lots, selling household goods, apparel, pet supplies, lawn and garden essentials, patio and pool supplies, holiday decorations, kitchen pantry staples and a variety of gourmet and international specialty foods.
“This is an exciting chapter for us,” said Marc Perlman, principal owner and CEO of Ocean State Job Lot in a press release. “We look forward to introducing our unique brand, friendly service and extraordinary savings to customers in each of these new communities.”
The company uses “opportunistic buying … to offer a wide selection of first-quality name brands and closeout merchandise at unbelievable prices,” an Ocean State Job Lot spokesperson said.
When will the Dover and Seaford Ocean State Job Lot stores open?
The Dover store at 515 N. Dupont Highway (Route 13 north) is scheduled to open in late May. The 34,438-square-foot store is next to the Burlington store in the Capital Commons shopping center in back of LongHorn Steakhouse. The store will employ between 60 and 70 associates in full-time, part-time and seasonal jobs.
In Seaford, Ocean State Job Lot is scheduled to open in mid-June at 900 Norman Eskridge Highway (Route 20), west of Route 13. The store, with about 36,000 square feet, is in the shopping center with Harbor Freight, Planet Fitness and Aaron’s Rent to Own. The Seaford store also plans to hire between 60 and 70 associates.
West of the Delaware line in Elkton, Maryland, Job Lot is planning to open another store early this summer in a former Big Lots site in the Village of Elkton shopping center, 801 E. Pulaski Highway (Route 40).
More about Ocean State Job Lot
Ocean State Job Lot is a privately held discount retail chain with about 5,600 associates and annual sales exceeding $850 million at more than 160 stores in Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and now Delaware.
The acquisition of 15 Big Lots stores continues the company’s “strategic repurposing” of former retail sites, Perlman said. In 2024, Job Lot opened stores in four former Christmas Tree Shops with two more slated to open this year. Since 2019, the company has converted 12 former Toys ‘R’ Us stores into Job Lot locations.
Ocean State Job Lot has been named a “Best Employer” by Forbes magazine four times, a “US Best Managed Company” by Deloitte four times and one of “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Parents & Families” in 2024 by Newsweek.
Big Lots reopening some stores after bankruptcy
While the former Big Lots stores in Dover and Seaford are now Ocean State Job Lot stores, more than 100 closed Big Lots stores will be reopening under the Big Lots name.
Big Lots filed bankruptcy in 2024 and announced its sale to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners. As part of the deal, Variety Wholesalers acquired 219 Big Lots stores as well as two distribution centers that are set to reopen locations.
States where Big Lots stores are reopening include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. No re-openings were announced for Delaware.
Gordon Brothers also sold 40 former Big Lots stores to Ollie’s Bargain Outlet which had previously acquired 23 former Big Lots locations.
Maria Francis from the USA TODAY Network contributed to this story.
Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate, development and business news. Reach him at [email protected].