JCPenney shoppers were left in despair as several stores are expected to close in the coming months.
Three points of sale are expected to close by the end of September and another is expected to close in 2025.
The closures will affect buyers in Mobile, Alabama, Wichita Falls, Texas, and Waterville, Maine.
A JCPenney store in Annapolis, Maryland is about to close next year, for Retail Diving.
But News of the closures appears to have come as a shock to buyers.
“End of an era,” said one customer.
“It’s sad to see an icon fall into the dust,” said a second fan.
“I didn’t go there often, but it was a comfort to know he was there if I needed anything,” said a third, devastated customer.
Die-hard JCPenney fans admitted they feared the Mobile store’s closure was coming.
Shoppers shared a photo of the store’s parking lot and a yellow banner containing the word closing was taped to the front of it.
A JCPenney spokesperson confirmed Al.com that the Mobile outlet will close until September 22nd.
They explained that the company was unable to reach an agreement on a new lease.
Bosses said this was a regrettable outcome.
But JCPenney isn’t leaving Alabama forever, as the chain has other locations in Alabaster, Dothan, Fultondale, Hoover, Montgomery, Oxford, Prattville, Tuscaloosa and Trussville.
The retailer’s Wichita Falls store is also expected to close by September 22.
Meanwhile, the JCPenney store in Waterville – located about 75 miles from Portland – will be replaced by a Reny’s store.
A discount sale is being held prior to closing.
JCPenney stores will close
JCPenney made headlines after it was reported that the chain will close several stores in the coming months. Here are the affected locations:
- Mobile, Alabama
- Wichita Falls, Texas
- Waterville, Maine
- Annapolis, Maryland
Shoppers can grab a bargain as item prices have been reduced by up to 50%.
The pending shutdowns come after JCPenney filed for bankruptcy.
Bosses at the time blamed the company for the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Jill Soltau, former CEO of JCPenney, said at the time that the restructuring would help secure the chain’s future.
JCPenney, which has been part of the American retail scene since it was founded in 1902, had more than 2,000 stores nationwide in 1973.
This number was drastically reduced in the following decades.
There are now 663 JCPenney stores nationwide.
OTHER STORE CLOSURES
The iconic chain is not the only retailer that has seen closures and experienced financial difficulties.
Executives at fashion retailer rue21 have filed for bankruptcy and hundreds of stores will close.
A rue21 store in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is among those that will close.
It’s not known when the store closed, but a sign was placed on the building’s doors, according to ABC affiliate WHTM-TV.
The sign says a new store will be coming soon.
US Sun previously reported that 95 Express stores will close after the chain filed for bankruptcy.
Where are Express stores closing?
Some states are losing more stores than others:
- California – 16 stores closing
- New York – 11 stores closing
- New Jersey – 7 stores closing
- Texas, Florida – 5 stores closing each
- Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois – 4 stores each closing
- Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts – 3 stores each closing
- Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin – 2 stores each closing
- Arizona, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Nevada, Rhode Island, Tennessee – 1 store closing each
In February, Macy’s bosses announced that 150 stores were expected to close by 2026.
It wasn’t just clothing retailers and department store chains that closed.
Hundreds of CVS stores are expected to close as drugstore bosses trim the chain’s portfolio.
AND Family Dollar bosses have announced that 1,000 stores will close.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
