Ollie's opens first New Mexico store in former Big Lots in Clovis

A vacant Big Lots box in Clovis did not stay empty for long. Ollie’s Bargain Outlet opened its first New Mexico store on June 10 at 820 East 21st Street in Rockridge Plaza, using the old Big Lots space as its new foothold in the state.

The opening matters because it brings the kind of fast retail turnover Big Lots workers know well: a closed store can quickly become a hiring sign, a ribbon-cutting and a fresh traffic draw for a shopping center. Ollie’s said each new store creates 50 to 60 jobs, including cashiers, managers and store leaders. For former Big Lots employees and anyone looking for work in discount retail, that is a concrete reminder that the labor market around a vacant box can reset almost overnight.

Ollie’s is leaning on the same bargain-hunting habits that once made Big Lots a familiar stop for many shoppers. The company said it ended the first quarter of 2026 with 672 stores in 35 states and 17.5 million Ollie’s Army loyalty members, and it opened 27 new stores in that quarter alone. Its flexible buying model, centered on closeouts and excess inventory, gives it a ready-made pitch to customers who like the surprise-and-discovery side of off-price shopping.

That puts pressure on nearby competitors, including Big Lots’ remaining stores, to keep shelves tight and stores clean while still delivering the low-price hunt customers expect. Big Lots’ public site still advertises low-priced furniture, home décor, mattresses and everyday essentials, which shows how closely the two chains still overlap even as one expands and the other contracts.

The speed of the Clovis conversion also sits against Big Lots’ collapse. Big Lots and its subsidiaries filed voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings on September 9, 2024, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. By late summer 2024, the company had already started closing sales on about 295 stores, with plans to close roughly 250 more locations. That wave of closures opened the door for lease buyers and replacement tenants.

Ollie’s has been moving quickly through that opportunity. In 2025, it acquired 40 former Big Lots leases in bankruptcy proceedings, and on March 5, 2026, it entered its 35th state with an opening in Austin, Minnesota. New Mexico became state No. 36 barely three months later. In Clovis, that meant one of the most visible signs of Big Lots’ retreat became a fresh storefront almost immediately, complete with opening-day doorbusters and a store traffic boost for Rockridge Plaza.