Brainerd Big Lots moving to Hamilton Place area

photo An aerial of the Hamilton Place area.

For the second time this year, a longtime Brainerd retailer is closing and moving to the Hamilton Place area.

Big Lots plans to open a 28,000-square-foot store in Hamilton Village shopping center off Gunbarrel Road by November, officials said Friday. The new store will occupy space formerly held by Books-A-Million, which closed earlier.

Toni Fink, a Big Lots spokeswoman, said plans are to close the store at 5952 Brainerd Road.

Big Lots department stores focus mainly on selling closeout and overstock merchandise.

"We know Chattanooga is a great place for Big Lots," Fink said.

Brian Forrester of The Shopping Center Group LLC, who represented Atlanta-based landlord Ronus Properties, said the Hamilton Place trade area is the dominant one in the region.

Big Lots joins Walmart, JoAnn Fabrics, Stein Mart, Dick's Sporting Goods and Babies R Us in the center.

"It wants to be in the face of Hamilton Place mall and all the other retailers," he said. "It's a good fit for them."

Forrester said the anchor space in the shopping center is all leased.

Earlier this summer, auto parts retailer Pep Boys located in an outparcel to the shopping center and shut down its Brainerd site.

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