Ollie's Bargain Outlet Taking Over Pittsfield Big Lots

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
05:15PM / Wednesday, March 05, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The lease for the Big Lots on Dalton Avenue has been purchased by Ollie's Bargain Outlet.

Ollie's, based in Harrisburg, Pa., acquired 40 leases for Big Lots stores and Burlington Stores Inc. another dozen.

Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last September. It operated nearly 1,400 stores nationwide but began closing more than 300 by August with plans for another 250 by January.

It announced back in December it would be closing the Pittsfield store after a purchase agreement with a competitor fall through.

The closeout retailer moved into the former Price Rite Marketplace on Dalton Avenue in 2021 from Allendale Shopping Center.

Gordon Brothers bought out Big Lots in early January with Variety Wholesalers of Henderson, N.C., acquiring some 200 of the stores to operate them under the Big Lots banner.

Ollie's will now operate 63 former Big Lots, including the one in Pittsfield and another in Rutland, Vt. It operates about 568 stores in 31 states.

Burlington, formerly Burlington Coat Factory, has already planned to open a location in the former Staples in Berkshire Crossing.

In a statement, Ollie's CEO and President Eric van der Valk said the new locations line up well with Ollie's growth strategy.

"Similar to what we have done with previous store acquisitions over the past year, we will adjust our existing new store openings and prioritize the opening of the acquired stores in a manner that makes the most operational and financial sense," he said. "This acquisition, along with the investments we have made to position the company for sustainable long-term growth provides us with the opportunity to accelerate new store openings in 2025 above our 10 percent annual growth target and open approximately 75 units."

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15 People Displaced in Pittsfield Home Fires

Staff Reports11:35AM / Sunday, October 11, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fifteen people were displaced after 2-alarm home fires this weekend on Springside Avenue and Elaine Drive.

On Friday evening, the Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 209 Springside Ave., which took a four-hour battle to extinguish and resulted in a partial roof collapse. The next day, on Saturday evening, crews knocked down a fire at 121 Elaine Drive in about an hour.

The garage and part of the single-family home on Elaine Drive were gutted to the frame, along with a vehicle parked in the driveway. On Springside Avenue, the top level and porch of the multifamily were burned through.

A GoFundMe has been started for the family of the Elaine Drive home, which includes several young children. The fundraiser, with a $5,500 goal, explains they lost their home and all of their belongings. (iBerkshires.com does not confirm or endorse fundraisers; they are provided as information only.)

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries, and both incidents are under investigation. One dog was rescued on Springside Avenue.

On Oct. 10, around 6:15 p.m., PFD responded to the Springside Avenue home for a reported structure fire and saw a 2 1/2-story wood frame multifamily with a heavy blaze showing from the second-floor front porch, extending out.

The building suffered a partial roof collapse, which prolonged extinguishment. The fire was brought under control after about four hours.

“An aggressive offensive attack was mounted by first arriving crews stretching hose lines into the building as well as primary searches that proved negative. Ladders were placed around the structure to provide access as well as escape if needed. An off-duty Fire Captain had also been on scene early in the incident to help evacuate the structure and rescue a dog,” PFD wrote in a press release.

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