Bellingham Big Lots Permanently Closing Sends Shockwaves, More WA Stores to Follow

Bellingham Big Lots Closing BannerPhoto byBig Lots Website

BELLINGHAM, WA – The Bellingham Big Lots located at 1650 Birchwood Ave is officially closing its doors, according to information posted on the company's website. This confirmation follows days of speculation after a highly reliable source reported about the closure. Despite reaching out to the Big Lots media team for comment, no official response has been received as of yet.

The Bellingham store is among several Big Lots locations in Washington State marked with "Closing This Location" on the company's website. Other affected stores include those in Burien, Covington, Everett, Kent, Lacey, Lynnwood, Olympia, Port Angeles, Renton, Tacoma (72nd St), and Vancouver (164th Ave).

The Bellingham Big Lots store at 1524 Birchwood Avenue originally opened in the mid-1990s. This location served the community until the store relocated to 1650 Birchwood Avenue (right next door) after Albertsons vacated the space.

This development arrives just weeks after Albertsons lifted longstanding restrictions, which had previously contributed to a food desert in a Bellingham neighborhood. The timing is notable, as Rite Aid, located just across the street from Big Lots, is also grappling with financial difficulties and closing numerous stores while navigating a Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

It is uncertain how this might further impact the Birchwood community, as the departure of both major stores, Albertsons and Big Lots, along with the uncertain future of Rite Aid, could have significant effects.

Big Lots has cited "elevated inflation" and "decreases in consumer spending" as the primary reasons for its store closures. The company has been struggling with ongoing financial losses and a challenging retail environment, which had originally necessitated the closure of 35 to 40 stores in 2024, but obviously lots more now. This move is part of a broader effort to manage costs and improve financial stability amid these economic pressures.

Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available. The additional details shared by my source will be withheld until an official response is received from Big Lots.

For the latest on this developing story, stay tuned.

Update (4:30 PM, July 19, 2024): Hours after our Bellingham Metro News article went live, Cascadia Daily News reported that Bellingham Big Lots is closing, renewing hope for a grocery store.

Note: Most of This information is directly sourced from the Big Lots website. Additional details shared with me will remain withheld until Big Lots responds via email.