Ollie's Bargain Outlet to Open Eight Stores in October
The retailer continues its rapid growth by repurposing former competitor properties to expand its national footprint.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Retail
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Ollie's Bargain Outlet plans to add eight new retail locations across seven U.S. states in October 2026. The expansion continues the company's strategy of backfilling properties previously occupied by defunct retail competitors.
Why it matters
The chain is aggressively executing a growth strategy by leveraging the real estate footprint left by bankrupt retailers. This approach allows the company to secure established retail locations as it works toward a long-term goal of surpassing 900 total stores.
Ollie's Bargain Outlet will reach a footprint of 658 stores in October 2026, building toward a stated target of 900 total locations. The current expansion affects seven states across the country.
The players
Ollie's Bargain Outlet
A deep-discount retailer operating 650 locations that specializes in purchasing closeout merchandise and surplus inventory.
Big Lots
A discount retail chain whose recent bankruptcy filing has created a surplus of vacated retail properties for competitors to occupy.
The details
Ollie's Bargain Outlet is specifically targeting former Big Lots properties for its latest growth wave. By repurposing sites from the bankrupt competitor, the company reduces the time and capital required for site selection and building development, effectively accelerating its footprint expansion across the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast regions.
Timeline
October 21, 2026: Openings in Newark, Cleveland, Mattoon, and Wilkesboro.
October 22, 2026: Opening in Asheboro, North Carolina.
October 28, 2026: Opening in Baxter, Minnesota.
October 29, 2026: Openings in Dover, New Jersey and Waterville, Maine.
Market Landscape
This move follows the pattern of the company utilizing the retail space vacated by the Big Lots bankruptcy filing. The strategy highlights a common consolidation trend where discount chains capture market share by moving into the physical footprints of failing competitors.
Operators in the discount retail space should monitor secondary-market real estate availability following major bankruptcy events. This strategy demonstrates how low-cost procurement of existing store leases can facilitate rapid regional scaling.
The takeaway
Retailers should maintain a database of nearby commercial vacancies to capitalize on sudden real estate availability when competitors shutter operations. Monitoring these property turnover cycles is a key competitive signal for expansion-minded entrepreneurs.
Further reading
For more on industry shifts, visit the Retail section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Tacoma News Tribune.
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