Alexandria Big Lots Holds Grand Opening (VIDEO)

Crowds formed a line outside of West End Alexandria’s new Big Lots discount store Friday morning for the store’s grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

As part of the grand opening, Big Lots officials made a $1,500 donation to Samuel Tucker Elementary School. The ceremony brought out local dignitaries including Samuel Tucker Principal Rene Paschal, Alexandria City School Board Chairman Karen Graf, Deputy School Superintendent Dr. Madye Henson, School Board member Ronnie Campbell and state Sen. George Barker.

“It’s great to have this store here,” Barker said. “It’s great to have a new store in the community here that provides an opportunity for jobs and also provides great shopping for all of you. And with all of you here, obviously the word’s gotten out that this is the place to come.”

The store, which has been open since last week, is located at 5901 Stevenson Ave., near Landmark Mall. Store Manager Mike Rector greeted shoppers—some new, some returning—to the store Friday.

“A lot of ya’ll I’ve already seen, so it’s great to see everybody back again,” Rector said. “I’ve even seen some of you two or three times already.”

District Manager Fred Galzerano thanked employees for doing “a great job” putting the store together.

“If you’ve never been here before, I hope you’ll enjoy the store,” he told shoppers. “If you have been here before, you’ve seen all the great grand opening deals we have for this weekend.”

The crowd included West End Alexandria resident Celestia Arpa, who told Patch she read about the grand opening and stopped by to check out the new store.

“I’ve only seen it in Maryland,” he said. “I’ve only been there once. So I thought, let me see what they’ve got here. It’s a big store with a lot of stuff in it. So that’s the simple reason why I’m here.”

On Sunday, the store will hold a one-day “Friends and Family” sale, with all merchandise 20 percent off. Shoppers can also sign up for Big Lots’ Buzz Club Rewards for information on upcoming sales and periodic discounts.

The store is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit biglots.com.