SEQUIM – When it comes to customer loyalty – no, make that love – this store’s the envy of the retail universe.
“Big Lots, don’t leave us,” pleaded Austin Reeves, a retired architect also known as “the prayer lady,” in an e-mail to the discount chain’s customer care office in Columbus, Ohio.
Earlier this month, Big Lots corporate spokeswoman, Amy Stocker, said the Sequim store will close by mid-May.
The reason: poor performance.
One would never guess that from the fervor among devotees of the 7-year-old store.
The Big Lots of Bell Creek Plaza “is an incredible, affordable community resource,” said Reeves, 59.
“When they get something new in, people call each other about it . . . it’s a small community store, and we don’t want to lose those community things.”
Reeves recently hosted a wedding reception for her son and daughter-in-law in her home.
“It was elegant,” she said, “and romantic.”
It was also maybe $500 for the elaborate decorations.
“People asked, ‘How did you do it?’ and I said, ‘I went to Big Lots.'”
“People shop there for so many different reasons,” added Linda Lyon, another frequent shopper.
“It fills a certain slot . . . a lot of us are involved with community organizations involving children. It’s a terrific place to get prizes and little gifts.
“And a lot of seniors aren’t there for all those little fun items. They’re doing their grocery shopping,” she added.
So Lyon and Reeves got busy.
They urged friends, family and acquaintances to e-mail Big Lots’ customer care office – at talk2US@BigLots.com – to call for a reprieve.
“Move, don’t remove,” wrote Reeves in an e-mail asking the company to consider “downsizing” its store to a smaller space.
Big Lots’ Bell Creek Plaza store covers 22,000 square feet, according to manager Ade Weedman.
