JC Penney Delays Closings as Loyal Shoppers Flock to Stores
Update, April 19, 2017: JC Penney is delaying the previously announced closings of 138 stores across the country, CNBC reports. That's because ever since the news got out, shoppers have been flocking to those stores, boosting sales for the company.
"This is not an uncommon response when you announce a store closure," a company spokeswoman said. "Local shoppers will come out for a variety of reasons - some out of nostalgia and some who are just looking for a great deal." Liquidation sales will begin May 22 instead of April 17, and stores will close on July 31.
Update, March 17, 2017: JC Penney has released a list of 138 stores that will be closed this June. The closings will affect up to 5,000 employees across the country. Here are the stores that will start liquidating items on April 17:
Auburn Mall, Auburn, Alabama
Tannehill Promenade, Bessemer, Alabama
Gadsden Mall, Gadsden, Alabama
Jasper Mall, Jasper, Alabama
Military Plaza, Benton, Arkansas
Chickasaw Plaza, Blytheville, Arkansas
Riverview Mall, Bullhead City, Arizona
Downtown Bishop, Bishop, California
Sunwest Plaza, Lodi, California
The Village at Orange, Orange, California
Hilltop Mall, Richmond, California
Fort Morgan Main St., Fort Morgan, Colorado
Glenwood Springs Mall, Glenwood Springs, Colorado
St. Vrain Centre, Longmont, Colorado
Broadway Plaza, Sterling, Colorado
Connecticut Post Mall, Milford, Connecticut
Jacksonville Regional Shopping Center, Jacksonville, Florida
Palatka Mall, Palatka, Florida
Dublin Mall, Dublin, Georgia
Macon Mall, Macon, Georgia
Milledgeville Mall, Milledgeville, Georgia
Gateway Plaza, Thomasville, Georgia
Tifton Mall, Tifton, Georgia
Downtown Decorah, Decorah, Iowa
Crossroads Mall, Fort Dodge, Iowa
Penn Central Mall, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Quincy Place, Ottumwa, Iowa
Snake River Plaza, Burley, Idaho
Eastland Mall, Bloomington, Illinois
Fulton Square, Canton, Illinois
Village Square Mall, Effingham, Illinois
Freestanding, Macomb, Illinois
Peru Mall, Peru, Illinois
Northland Mall, Sterling, Illinois
Centerpointe of Woodridge, Woodridge, Illinois
FairOaks Mall, Columbus, Indiana
Connersville Plaza, Connersville, Indiana
Huntington Plaza, Huntington, Indiana
Jasper Manor Center, Jasper, Indiana
Logansport Mall, Logansport, Indiana
Chanute Square, Chanute, Kansas
Downtown Great Bend, Great Bend, Kansas
Hutchinson Mall, Hutchinson, Kansas
Freestanding, Lawrence, Kansas
Winfield Plaza, Winfield, Kansas
Cortana Mall, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Park Terrace, DeRidder, Louisiana
North Shore Square, Slidell, Louisiana
Berkshire Mall, Lanesborough, Massachusetts
Easton Marketplace, Easton, Maryland
Rockland Plaza, Rockland, Maine
Lakeview Square Mall, Battle Creek, Michigan
Delta Plaza, Escanaba, Michigan
Westshore Mall, Holland, Michigan
Copper Country Mall, Houghton, Michigan
Birchwood Mall, Kingsford, Michigan
Midland Mall, Midland, Michigan
Cascade Crossings Sault Ste., Marie, Michigan
Central Lakes Crossing, Baxter, Minnesota
Five Lakes Centre, Fairmont, Minnesota
Faribo West Mall, Faribault, Minnesota
Irongate Plaza, Hibbing, Minnesota
Hutchinson Mall, Hutchinson, Minnesota
Red Wing Mall, Red Wing, Minnesota
Downtown Thief River Falls, Thief River Falls, Minnesota
Freestanding, Winona, Minnesota
Maryville Center, Maryville, Missouri
Leigh Mall, Columbus, Mississippi
Southgate Plaza, Corinth, Mississippi
Greenville Mall, Greenville, Mississippi
Bonita Lakes Mall, Meridian, Mississippi
Oxford Mall, Oxford, Mississippi
Capital Hill Mall, Helena, Montana
Sidney Main Street, Sidney, Montana
Albemarle Crossing, Albemarle, North Carolina
Boone Mall, Boone, North Carolina
Eastridge Mall, Gastonia, North Carolina
Blue Ridge Mall, Hendersonville, North Carolina
Monroe Crossing, Monroe, North Carolina
Becker Village Mall, Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina
Prairie Hills Mall, Dickinson, North Dakota
Buffalo Mall, Jamestown, North Dakota
Downtown Wahpeton, Wahpeton, North Dakota
Fremont Mall, Fremont, Nebraska
Downtown McCook, McCook, Nebraska
Platte River Mall, North Platte, Nebraska
Rio Grande Plaza, Rio Grande, New Jersey
The Boulevard, Las Vegas, Nevada
Dunkirk-Fredonia Plaza, Dunkirk, New York
Westfield Sunrise, Massapequa, New York
Palisades Center, West Nyack, New York
Findlay Village Mall, Findlay, Ohio
New Towne Mall, New Philadelphia, Ohio
Richmond Town Square, Richmond Heights, Ohio
St. Mary's Square, St. Marys, Ohio
Altus Plaza, Altus, Oklahoma
Ne-Mar Shopping Center, Claremore, Oklahoma
Ponca Plaza, Ponca City, Oklahoma
Pioneer Square Shopping Center, Stillwater, Oklahoma
Astoria Downtown, Astoria, Oregon
Grants Pass Shopping Center, Grants Pass, Oregon
La Grande Downtown, La Grande, Oregon
Downtown Pendleton, Pendleton, Oregon
The Dalles Main Street, The Dalles, Oregon
Columbia Mall, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
Clearfield Mall, Clearfield, Pennsylvania
King of Prussia Mall, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Mills, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Bradford Towne Centre, Towanda, Pennsylvania
Lycoming Mall, Pennsdale, Pennsylvania
Willow Grove Park, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania
Citadel Mall, Charleston, South Carolina
Town 'N Country, Easley, South Carolina
Palace Mall, Mitchell, South Dakota
Northridge Plaza, Pierre, South Dakota
Watertown Mall, Watertown, South Dakota
Yankton Mall, Yankton, South Dakota
Greeneville Commons, Greeneville, Tennessee
Knoxville Center, Knoxville, Tennessee
County Market Place, Union City, Tennessee
Athens Village Shopping Center, Athens, Texas
Borger Shopping Plaza, Borger, Texas
Heartland Mall, Early, Texas
El Paso Downtown, El Paso, Texas
Marshall Mall, Marshall, Texas
McAllen Downtown, McAllen, Texas
University Mall, Nacogdoches, Texas
King Plaza Shopping Center, Seguin, Texas
Bosque River Center, Stephenville, Texas
New River Valley Mall, Christiansburg, Virginia
Tanglewood Mall, Roanoke, Virginia
Pilchuck Landing, Snohomish, Washington
Pine Tree Mall, Marinette, Wisconsin
Marshfield Mall, Marshfield, Wisconsin
Richland Square Shopping Center, Richland Center, Wisconsin
Rapids Mall, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
Foxcroft Towne Center, Martinsburg, West Virginia
Downtown Sheridan, Sheridan, Wyoming
Original post, February 24, 2017: Add JC Penney to the list of mall stores downsizing in 2017. The Washington Post reports that the department store chain is just the latest to close a large number of stores across the country. JC Penney will be closing up to 14% of its stores in an attempt to stay competitive with online behemoths like Amazon - and to save a whopping $200 million.
In a statement, the company said it expected to close two distribution facilities and around 130 to 140 stores over the next few months. The stores picked for closing, which will be announced in March, either had low sales or took a lot of funds to bring it up to current company standards. They will also start an early retirement program for about 6,000 workers, with the hope that people who retire will open up full-time jobs at JC Penney locations that remain open.
Though JC Penney's statement insisted the company is actually improving its business lately, the Washington Post notes that some experts think companies like it are "overstored," featuring too many locations when more and more people just shop online these days. That may also be why stores like Payless, Macy's, Sears, and Kmart are closing stores around the country, while stores like The Limited and Sports Authority are going away altogether.
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