Big Lots workers gain de-escalation training as retail conflicts rise

Retail floor work is changing fast enough that keeping a conversation calm now matters as much as knowing where the freight is or how to process a return. The National Retail Federation Foundation’s Customer Conflict De-escalation credential is built around that shift: a 30-minute online course for front-line, customer-facing and distribution center employees that teaches how to spot warning signs, manage disruptive behavior and use communication to cool down conflict before it spills over.

The credential is meant to be durable as well as brief. It never expires, which makes it a practical training option for Big Lots workers who may need the same tools on a busy sales floor, at a service desk or in a distribution center. The NRF Foundation says customer stress can spike during holidays, election cycles and personal life events, and those pressures show up in everyday retail moments, especially when a shopper is upset about pricing, inventory or a return.

For Big Lots, the need is sharper because the company has spent months in a high-pressure reset. Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sept. 9, 2024, in Delaware and initially said it would close nearly 300 stores. Two days later, court filings expanded that list to 344 locations across 41 states, after documents showed 295 stores had already started closing sales since July 2024. By late September, Big Lots said about 250 more locations would begin closing.

The turmoil did not stop there. On Dec. 19, 2024, Big Lots announced it would close all of its stores before later completing a sale that allowed Variety Wholesalers to acquire between 200 and 400 stores and potentially keep some Big Lots associates on the payroll. Gordon Brothers Retail Partners said the transaction preserved the brand, kept hundreds of stores operating and prevented thousands of layoffs.

That backdrop makes de-escalation more than a customer-service nicety. When workers are dealing with liquidation signs, empty shelves, shifting hours and customers angry about markdowns or missing merchandise, small exchanges can turn quickly at the register or on the sales floor. The NRF Foundation’s program, developed with the Crisis Prevention Institute, lines up with that reality by emphasizing recognition, assessment, safe de-escalation and reporting when needed.

For Big Lots employees, the lesson is plain: calm communication, clear boundaries and a fast handoff to a supervisor are not soft skills. They are part of keeping stores safe, protecting associates from avoidable confrontations and holding together the customer experience during one of the most turbulent periods in the chain’s history.