Sentinel staff report–
After first opening three years ago in a portion of the former Kmart building on Auburn Boulevard, Big Lots will reportedly be closing its Citrus Heights store in January.
ABC 10 first reported on Thursday about the store’s closure, citing a statement from Big Lots spokesperson Josh Chaney, who did not specify a reason for the closure. Chaney said Big Lots reviews its stores on a routine basis “and sometimes decide, for a variety of business reasons, to close or relocate.”
The location at 8525 Auburn Blvd. first opened in April 2019, the same month that a Smart & Final store at the same center closed. ABC 10 said there has been assertions about high crime and theft contributing to the closure, but the news outlet reported a police commander said the location has not had “an unusually high amount of theft” over the past year.
The Citrus Grove shopping center, where Big Lots currently operates, has seen several changes in recent years. A 49,000-square-foot Studio Movie Grill originally planned to open next to Big Lots, but the theater chain pulled out of those plans during the pandemic.
Last year, three new businesses joined the center, including a new nail salon, a cafe and a discount wholesaler. The future of the former Studio Grill Site remains unconfirmed, although a leasing brochure dated Sept. 22, 2022 shows plans for a theater and does not list the site as available.
Related: A spark of hope for abandoned Studio Movie Grill site on Auburn Blvd
