Big Lots in Portland, Maine, to Permanently Close

The state of retail in Maine is in a strange place. Several major national chains have opened or are preparing to open, including Boot Barn and Floor & Decor.

But on the other hand, some retail chains are struggling nationwide, putting their stores throughout Maine into jeopardy. One of those major chains is Big Lots.

Big Lots currently operates nearly 1,400 stores across the country, but the last couple of years have been challenging for sales. The company announced it would close 30 to 40 stores in 2024 to help quell financial issues. Somehow, that has turned into Big Lots planning to close nearly 300 stores nationwide instead, including a pretty prominent location in Maine.

Big Lots plans to close their Portland location at 1100 Brighton Avenue inside the Pine Tree shopping center. The store itself already has signage up, alerting customers that location will be closing. Liquidation sales have already begun.

According to MassLive, Big Lots plans to close an additional 17 stores throughout New England over the next several months. You can see the entire closure list for 2024 here.

While the Portland location will close soon, it looks like the remaining four Big Lots locations in Maine will be spared, at least for this year. Big Lots has announced that the stores in Augusta, Auburn, Brunswick, and Farmington will all remain open and operational for the foreseeable future.

For bargain shoppers, Big Lots' evolving plans for closures feels eerily similar to what happened with Christmas Tree Shops. Will Big Lots end up with the same fate?