8-K

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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 Current Report
     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                        Date of Report: November 3, 2000

                       VALUE CITY DEPARTMENT STORES, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                                      OHIO
                 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

              1-10767                                   NO. 31-1322832
       (Commission File Number)                (IRS Employer Identification No.)

 3241 WESTERVILLE ROAD, COLUMBUS, OHIO                       43224
(Address of principal executive offices)                   (Zip Code)

                                 (614) 471-4722
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
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ITEM 5.  OTHER ITEMS

         On November 3, 2000, Value City Department Stores, Inc., an Ohio
corporation (the "Company"), issued a press release announcing October sales and
third quarter estimated results. The press release is included as an exhibit to
this Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by this reference.

         The information contained in this Form 8-K or incorporated herein by
reference may make certain forward-looking statements based upon the Company's
current expectations or beliefs. We caution investors that our actual results
may differ materially from our current expectations and beliefs based on the
risk factors described in the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.

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ITEM 7.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS


         (C)      EXHIBITS

         Exhibit No.                           Description

           99 (a)        Press release, dated November 3, 2000, entitled "Value
                         City Department Stores, Inc. reports October Sales and
                         Third Quarter Estimated Results."

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                    VALUE CITY DEPARTMENT STORES, INC.
                                                (Registrant)

                                    By /s/ James A. McGrady
                                      ---------------------------------------
                                      James A. McGrady, Chief Financial Officer
                                      and Treasurer*


Date: November 3, 2000
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* Mr. McGrady is the principal financial officer and has been duly authorized to
  sign on behalf of the registrant.

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EX-99.A

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                                 EXHIBIT 99 (a)

          VALUE CITY DEPARTMENT STORES, INC. REPORTS OCTOBER SALES AND
          THIRD QUARTER ESTIMATED RESULTS


Columbus, Ohio --/ Nov. 3/PR Newswire/-- Value City Department Stores, Inc.
(NYSE:VCD) today announced that total sales for the four weeks ended October 28,
2000 increased 5.3% to $146.8 million from $139.4 million reported in the
comparable year earlier period. Same store sales decreased 9.8%.

         Sales for the 39 weeks ended October 28, 2000 increased 19.8% to
$1,387.6 million from $1,158.6 million in the comparable year-earlier period.
Same store sales increased 1.6%.

         The above figures exclude sales of the Filene's Basement Stores
acquired effective March 17, 2000. Sales for these stores, excluding licensed
departments, totaled $23.3 million for the four weeks ended October 28, 2000 and
$162.6 million for the period March 17, 2000 through October 28, 2000.

         The Company also announced today that it plans to take non-recurring
pre-tax charges of about $110 million in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal
2000. The charges, consisting principally of inventory realignment, severance
and asset impairment costs, are expected to impact third and fourth quarter
results by approximately $1.91 per share.

         The Company now expects the third quarter loss to be in the range of
$2.30 to $2.45 per share due to the above mentioned charges,
lower-than-anticipated sales, above plan markdowns and higher promotional
expenses.

         Value City Department Stores, Inc. is a leading off-price retailer
currently operating 120 full-line department stores in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic
and southeastern U.S., 19 Filene's Basement Stores, including its first
Columbus, Ohio store that opened yesterday and 71 better-branded DSW Shoe
Warehouse Stores in major metropolitan areas throughout the country.

         The Company cautions that members of management may make certain
forward-looking statements based upon the Company's current expectations or
beliefs. We caution investors that our actual results may differ materially from
our current expectations and beliefs based on the risk factors described in the
reports we file with the SEC.


SOURCE:  Value City Department Stores, Inc.
         /Contact:  Bob Wysinski of Value City Department Stores, Inc.
         (614) 478-2242

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