I read with sadness the article that Dino Flammia posted on NJ101.5.com about all the stores that are closing in New Jersey. 

It’s not like this is the first time I’ve heard something like this and I guess by now I thought I would be used to it. But all of these end-of-an-era store closings bother me.

I thought that by the end of the pandemic, we would see the end of all of the store closings, but it seems like every time we think it’s over, another few are shattered for good.

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You’ve probably heard by now that many locations of Kohl’s, Macy’s, Footlocker and Party City would be closing. But I’m not sure if you would be as sad as I am to learn that Big Lots is closing.

Out of all the stores shutting down in New Jersey, Big Lots is the one I’m going to miss.

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You may think I’m crazy, but I loved Big Lots. And I know people who have never even stepped foot in one. But to me, Big Lots was a store where every trip was like a treasure hunt.

You’d walk in looking for, say, a lamp, and leave with a discounted recliner, a random box of cookies and a couple of quirky knick-knacks you didn’t even know you needed.

Big Lots had everything: furniture, clothes, electronics, seasonal décor—it was like a mini department store where nothing was full price.

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And the best part? You never knew what you’d find. And that was precisely the allure.

It wasn’t just about the bargains (although let’s be honest, those were a big draw). It was about the thrill of the unexpected.

One time I scored a name-brand coffee maker for half the price. Another time I left with three throw pillows that perfectly matched my couch—without even planning to buy pillows.

Not only that, when my kids were young, I would bring them into Big Lots and they would inevitably find something that they wanted and, get this, we actually could agree!

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We would go there at the beginning of the school season to look around. It became our favorite family store.

Now that I hear Big Lots is among the stores on the chopping block, it feels like the end of an era. Sure, we’re also losing Macy’s Backstage in West Orange, and Party City is going under entirely, but Big Lots? That one stings. It was one of those places you could lose yourself in for hours, just wandering the aisles and imagining all the possibilities.

I’m not even a big shopper, but there was something about walking into big lots that made you feel like you were in for some kind of cool surprise that day. And it didn’t even have to break your wallet.

Restaurants that closed in New Jersey During 2023

Here are some of the restaurants that closed their doors around New Jersey in 2023 listed alphabetically. Did your favorite restaurant close in 2023? Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

Gallery Credit: Dan Alexander

These are the long-gone NJ mall stores we miss the most

With so many trends of the 1990's back in style, it's a great time to look back at a strong foundation of 80's and 90's culture — New Jersey mall shopping. Some stores were a highlight, every trip.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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