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Big Lots Elves Bring Happy Holidays

Columbus, OH (January 15, 2007) – Three elves. One job. While consumers nationwide voted this holiday season for the Big Lots Spokes-Elf, they also counted Big Lots among their favorite holiday advertisements. According to a survey conducted for the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA), Big Lots ranked among the top ten favorite holiday advertisements.

Companies rounding out consumers' top ten were Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Macy's, JCPenney, Kmart, Old Navy, Kohl's and Gap.

"The Search For The Big Lots Spokes-Elf" combined television commercials, online ads, and in-store pieces to ultimately drive tens of thousands Big Lots shoppers to Elfthevote.com from Nov. 1 through Nov. 23. This first-of-its-kind experience put the decision in the hands of real consumers to select the company Spokes-Elf. The winner was announced on Thanksgiving Day, and Mikey, the winning elf, announced all the hottest holiday deals of the 2006 holiday season.

The multi-media Spokes-Elf campaign was created and executed by SBC Advertising. SBC Advertising has worked with Big Lots for more than 15 years, successfully positioning the company as the leading closeout retailer. The campaign resulted in accelerated holiday sales and increased store traffic.

"For the first time, consumers actually directed the outcome of an advertising campaign as it ran," said Neil Widerschein, SBC Advertising chief creative officer. "In the end, this campaign is what Big Lots is all about - it's a shopping adventure."

About the Survey

The survey, conducted for RAMA by BIGresearch, polled 7,828 consumers from December 5-13, 2006. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent.

About RAMA

The Retail Advertising & Marketing Association, a division of the National Retail Federation, is a trade association of over 1500 retail marketing and advertising executives, plus their supporting partners from the advertising agency, media and service-provider areas. RAMA sponsors the annual Retail Advertising Conference, the largest single gathering of retail marketing and advertising professionals in the industry today. RAMA also produces the RACie Awards Competition, the most prestigious creative contest in retail. www.rama-nrf.org.

About Big Lots

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Big Lots (NYSE: BIG) is a Fortune 500 company with over 1,400 stores nationwide. Big Lots offers consumers a unique shopping experience and wide range of bargain-priced merchandise, including brand-name closeouts, one-of-a-kind deals, seasonal products, consumables, furniture, housewares, toys, and gifts. Five regional distribution centers ranging in size from 1 million to 3 million square feet and two furniture distribution centers provide the company's stores with brand-name products from more than 3,000 manufacturers. For more information, visit www.biglots.com.

About SBC Advertising

SBC Advertising is a privately held, full-service advertising and marketing services company. The company has been providing effective and comprehensive marketing solutions to retailers and national brands for more than 30 years. The agency's clients include Big Lots Inc., Bob Evans Farms, Armstrong Building Products, Elmer's, KrazyGlue, Baldwin Hardware, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., Channellock Inc., Huntington Bank, Ultimate Software, AAA of Ohio, Worthington Industries, Tyco Fire Suppression & Building Products, A.J. Wright, The HoneyBaked Ham Company and Subway. The agency is based in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit www.sbcadvertising.com.