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Ollie's Bargain Outlet, America's largest retailer of closeout merchandise and excess inventory, will open a new location in the St. Marys Square Business Complex in February in the location of the former Big Lots.
ST. MARYS - Ollie's Bargain Outlet is coming to The St. Marys Square Business Complex, filling the vacancy left when Big Lots closed.
Ollie's, which lays claim to being America's largest retailer of closeout merchandise and excess inventory, is shooting for a February opening in the 36,387-square-foot space that housed Big Lots before its recent shuttering, Janice Grieshop, vice president of Celina Tent and St. Marys Square Business Complex LLC, confirmed on Monday afternoon.
"Big Lots went into bankruptcy, and Ollie's bought some of their leases and ours was one of them," Grieshop told the newspaper. "I think it will be a great asset to the mall."
Ollie's plans to open a store in the complex in February, she added. The space, located on the southeast end of the complex that once was home to a JCPenney store, won't need much work.
Ahead of the Big Lot's soft opening in October 2022, complex officials had remodeled the space, gutting the building, laying down a new floor and making other modifications to meet Big Lots' specifications.
"I don't think that there's a lot of work," Grieshop said about Ollie's readying the site for a February opening. "They're going to take their carpenters in to get their shelving in, but there's not a lot of remodel work to be done."
Big Lots recently closed at the St. Marys Square Business Complex after the corporation filed for bankruptcy. Ollie's Bargain Outlet will open a new location in the storefront in February.
St. Marys Square Business Complex made the announcement on social media on Monday, saying Ollie's is known for offering a wide variety of brand name merchandise at drastically reduced prices.
"With their motto of 'Good Stuff Cheap,' you can look forward to a fantastic selection of housewares, food, books, stationery, bed and bath items, toys, and more!" the post states. "Get ready for a shopping experience like no other, characterized by a fun treasure hunt atmosphere and humorous in-store signage."
Ollie's has 546 stores in 31 states, including regional locations in Van Wert, Sidney and Lima.
The St. Marys Square Business Complex will also welcome Grocery Outlet in July 2025. Grocery Outlet will be positioned right next to the complex's latest addition, Hobby Lobby, a top retail destination for crafters, hobbyists and other creatives that opened in September where Celina Tent had maintained a presence.
Founded in 1946, Grocery Outlet is the nation's largest grocery extreme-value retailer and a proud third-generation family-run business, according to St. Marys Square Business Complex.
"It's a chain of stores. Their corporate office is in California, and they are expanding," Grieshop said of Grocery Outlet.
