Aldi takes over three large retail spaces as Big Lots exits and trampoline parks expand nationwide

Three former Big Lots sites shift to new uses

Aldi has moved to take control of three large-format retail properties previously occupied by Big Lots, a step that underscores how landlords and retailers are repurposing big-box space amid ongoing churn in the U.S. retail market. The acquisitions were disclosed in bankruptcy-related filings dated May 9, tied to the disposition of Big Lots’ real estate following its Chapter 11 process.

One of the three identified addresses is 23351 Eureka Road in Taylor, Michigan. The other two purchased sites were listed in the same court materials, reflecting a small but notable set of transactions in which a grocery operator secured former discount-retail boxes.

Phoenix-area redevelopment shows how former Big Lots boxes are being redesigned

In metro Phoenix, public planning documents show Aldi advancing a conversion of a former Big Lots box into a grocery store at 4727 E. Bell Road in Phoenix. The project describes a roughly 24,258-square-foot Aldi store within an existing planned shopping center that includes dozens of tenants and several vacant spaces. The filing frames the work as an infill reuse of an existing retail building, with proposed adjustments to exterior design elements to align with Aldi’s standard store format.

Such conversions typically involve reconfiguring loading, signage, and façade treatments to fit grocery operations, while keeping the underlying structure and parking field that already serve the shopping center. For landlords, replacing a vacant anchor with a grocery tenant can stabilize traffic and support smaller in-line retailers.

Entertainment operators also target vacant big boxes

Former big-box retail space is also being pulled toward entertainment uses. Indoor trampoline parks, which generally require large footprints, have increasingly sought out closed retail boxes and other oversized commercial buildings. In Central Florida, for example, plans were announced for a Sky Zone indoor trampoline park to take over a shuttered Big Lots space in the Orlando area, reflecting how recreation concepts can compete with traditional retailers for the same type of real estate.

What the trend signals for shopping centers

The competing reuse patterns—grocery infill on one hand, entertainment conversion on the other—highlight the narrowing set of tenants capable of absorbing tens of thousands of square feet in one lease. Big-box vacancies can be subdivided, but many owners prefer single-tenant solutions that restore anchor-driven traffic more quickly.

• Grocery conversions can strengthen daily-need visitation and support adjacent service tenants.
• Entertainment conversions can extend dwell time and shift centers toward experiential retail.
• Both paths can reduce prolonged vacancy that weighs on leasing and center performance.

Across multiple markets, former Big Lots boxes are becoming a focal point for redevelopment decisions that balance daily-need retail against experience-driven uses.

The net effect is a faster reallocation of legacy big-box space into categories still expanding their physical footprints, even as parts of traditional discount retail continue to retrench.