Big Lots

I found good deal on some furniture but one piece that had to order and they said I would have it in two weeks. It’s been almost a month and no love seat. Every time I call they give me a date and then on that date they give me another date. Also the delivery service is horrible. They didn’t return phone calls and when they did they set-​up their own delivery date and time without checking with us. Needless to say I’m going to go back to dealing with a regular furniture store.

I’ve been told this is the gold standard of Big Lots stores in the district. There are many Big Lots in the south that I’ve been in but I hadn’t been in one in Illinois for a long time. This store had their grand opening on Nov. 18^th.
I was impressed with the size and spacious layout of the store. The cashier was friendly and helpful… They have a variety of products ranging from home décor and furniture to small electronics and food. They had an impressive selection of both gluten free and organic options. AND they had Peruvian products!
This is in a strip mall that needed a good store, so I’m happy to see them here and will definitely be back!

Now, I loves me some Big Lots. I love strolling through the messes, looking at the weird stuff and finding treasures amongst the chaos.
I love the Big Lots song that they play throughout the store… a spin on Aretha Franklin’s Think. It goes a little something like this:
Whoa oh oh Value
Big Lots
Value
FREEDOM
FREEDOM!!!
Whoa oh oh BIG LOTS!!!
It’s true, though. Big Lots = Value. And Freedom.
So anyway, this place didn’t play the Big Lots song. But the freedom coursing through my veins wasn’t the only thing missing. Where was the mess? Where was the lighting? I felt like the back half of the store was in the dark. Where was the weird stuff? Where was the cool stuff?
This place is fairly new, so maybe it takes a while to get seasoned and all messy like I like it. And maybe their Big Lots Freedom CD got lost in the mail and another one is on the way.
Let’s hope so, for freedom’s sake.

When I walked in, I thought I was in the wrong store. This is not like your other Big Lots — it’s clean, organized, and there are items worthy of gift-​giving and furnishing your own home.
I found exactly what I was looking for here: mini glass Christmas ornaments in gold, silver and red ($ 3 ea. for a 41 pack), an 80 ft. indoor/​outdoor garland ($ 8), craft ribbon, and an item I wasn’t shopping for: oversized black & white coffee mugs marked «His» and «Hers.» Total spent: $ 27.
There is a big selection of prepackaged, basic gift ideas for that grab bag or oddball on your list. Jewelry boxes, body washes, gourmet sauces, coffee mugs, etc. This is also a one-​stop shop for holiday decorations. Lights, ornaments, trees, gift wrap, indoor and outdoor decorations all come at an affordable price.
There’s also a huge selection of bedding and home furnishings.
The customer service is lacking. I passed by several employees, and nobody acknowledged me. I don’t like being stalked, but I don’t like being ignored either. When I checked out, the cashier was friendly and I agreed to sign up for their Big Lots club card (free). She had a problem with the register and called over the manager. He shrugged his shoulders and told her a roundabout way to fix the register. All he said was, «this manager thing is new to me,» which was obvious by how loud he said it — he was clearly looking for attention and acknowledgement. A newbie wearing manager pants — yuck.
No major flaws with this store though. The employees just need a review on acnkowledging people before they get to the checkout lane.