March spending rises, signaling cautious, value-focused shoppers at Big Lots

Shoppers were still spending in March, but not in a way that made life easy for discount retail workers. The Bureau of Economic Analysis said personal consumption expenditures rose 0.9% as personal income and disposable personal income both climbed 0.6%, a mix that points to customers who were still in the market while staying careful about what they put in the cart.

That caution matters at Big Lots, where the job on the floor is often to translate value into something a customer can see quickly. Goods spending jumped $132.6 billion in March, services spending rose $62.9 billion, and real PCE edged up just 0.2%. At the same time, the personal saving rate fell to 3.6% from 4.0% in February, its lowest level since the end of 2022, according to TD Economics. The message for stores is not that shoppers stopped buying. It is that they were stretching paychecks, dealing with inflation and taxes, and making more selective choices.

That backdrop fits Big Lots’ model. The retailer says it offers affordable furniture, home décor, mattresses, and everyday essentials, with daily deals online and in stores. Its closeout page highlights furniture, home decor, and more. In a market where the PCE price index rose 0.7% in March and was up 3.5% from a year earlier, clear value signage, fast replenishment, and sharp markdowns matter because customers want immediate proof that each dollar goes farther.

The broader economy still leaned on consumers. BEA’s advance estimate showed real GDP grew at a 2.0% annual rate in the first quarter of 2026, underscoring that spending kept the expansion moving even as price pressure lingered. But for Big Lots workers, the more useful reading is on behavior at the register and in the aisle: traffic can hold up while basket sizes stay small, and shoppers can be active without being loose with their money.

That is the environment Variety Wholesalers stepped into after acquiring 219 Big Lots stores out of bankruptcy following Big Lots’ Chapter 11 filing in September 2024. The first wave of reopened stores began on April 10, 2025, and Variety Wholesalers said the reopened locations would feature closeout deals, new merchandise categories, apparel, and electronics. Big Lots’ current mix of brand-name and closeout merchandise, including apparel, home décor, health and beauty items, toys, and other essentials, is built for exactly this kind of customer: still spending, but still counting.