Big Lots Sweetens the Deal for Social Media Creators
Big Lots Inc. has established a new affiliate program with impact.com that will allow the closeout retailer to offer social media creators and publishers the opportunity to earn a commission on referral sales to its website.
"Big Lots has built a dedicated and influential following of shoppers who crave the excitement of discovering excellent deals and sharing them with others," said Bruce Thorn, president and CEO of Big Lots. "Introducing this new affiliate program is a natural progression for us in expanding our connections with bargain-savvy creators and publishers, as well as their online communities.”
Continued Thorn, “By collaborating with our chosen affiliate partners and impact.com, we aim to engage with more consumers more frequently and authentically within their preferred online communities."
According to Big Lots, the new affiliate program will build on the success of the company's fast-growing social media influencer and ambassador program. That program has helped generate hundreds of new image and video assets and tens of millions of impressions, and the content has driven higher site conversion rates, email click-through rates and a higher return on ad spend, compared to brand-generated content alone.
"Today's consumer seeks trusted advice and authenticity when shopping for products they want to buy, and we see tremendous potential in Big Lots' new affiliate program to reach new audiences and generate incremental value," said Cristy Garcia, chief marketing officer at impact.com. "The platform will also offer new opportunities for creators and publishers to earn significant commissions through authentic content shared to their communities, and we look forward to supporting Big Lots' affiliate and creator success through our platform."
Meanwhile, Big Lots entered into a sale agreement earlier this month with an affiliate of investment firm Nexus Capital Management LP, under which Nexus has agreed to acquire substantially all of the company’s assets and ongoing business operations. To ease the transaction, Big Lots, along with each of its subsidiaries, has initiated voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
During and after this process, the retailer will continue to welcome customers at its stores and online.
Columbus, Ohio-based Big Lots Inc. operates more than 1,000 stores in 48 states, as well as an e-commerce platform with expanded fulfillment and delivery capabilities. The company is No. 59 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
