JC Penny announces store closures, including two Montana locat

“We understand that closing stores will impact the lives of many hard-working associates”, said Marvin Ellison, chairman and chief executive officer of J.C. Penney.

The Uniontown Mall dodged a bullet Friday when it learned it won’t be losing another one of its anchor stores.

J.C. Penny is the latest department-store chain to make adjustments to address lower mall traffic and fierce online competition.

Besides the Palisades Center store, the only Penney locations in NY state that will close are in Massapequa, on Long Island, and in Dunkirk, southwest of Buffalo.

J.C. Penney Company, Inc., has announced it will close 138 stores, including its locations in Kingsford, Escanaba, Houghton, Sault Ste. The most recent news comes from office supply giant Staples, which said it will close 70 stores this fiscal year, following a $548 million loss and a 3 percent decline in sales in the fiscal quarter that ended in January. The mall store is the only on in MA targeted for closure; the next closest, the Penney’s in Bennington, Vt., is not on the list.

Friday, the company announced which stores would be closing. It is also beefing up its store label brands like St. John’s Bay.

The total store closures represent approximately 13 – 14 % of the Company’s current store portfolio, and less than 5% of total annual sales.

JCPenney said most stores will close in June but begin the liquidation process on April 17.

The store at the Maryville Center was the only one in Missouri scheduled to close. A previous press release stated the company would offer 6,000 eligible associates a voluntary early retirement program. It is not clear how many are employed at the Maryville store.

A total of four South Dakota cities, Pierre, Mitchell, Yankton and Watertown, are slated to see their J.C. Penney stores close over the summer.

Founded in 1902 by James Cash Penney, who grew up in Hamilton 140 miles southeast of Maryville, Penney’s grew to become a retail giant in the 1950s and ’60s known for its downtown and suburban department stores and iconic home-delivered print catalogue.