Filed under: Company News, JC Penney, Retail, Layoffs, Stores
NEW YORK -- J.C. Penney Co. said that it will close about 40 stores this year and cut approximately 2,250 jobs, as it tries to improve its profitability.
Most of the stores, located in malls around the country, will close by April 4. The Plano, Texas, company currently runs about 1,060 stores.
The announcement Thursday comes two days after J.C. Penney reported a rise in sales during the critical holiday shopping season, an encouraging sign as the company tries to recover from a botched plan to reinvent itself under former CEO Ron Johnson.
It has tapped a new CEO, former Home Depot (HD) executive Marvin Ellison, who will replace current CEO Mike Ullman in August. Ullman was rehired as CEO in April 2013 after retiring from the top job in 2011.
J.C. Penney said all employees at stores being closed will be offered career training classes, including help writing resumes and filling out applications. The company said that some employees are eligible to receive separation benefits.
Last January, the company announced plans to close about 33 stores and cut approximately 2,000 jobs.
Shares of J.C. Penney (JCP) rose 4 cents to $7.93 in afternoon trading Thursday. Its shares are up about 7.5 percent versus a year ago.
Here is a list of the location of the announced store closings:
Georgia
- Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth
- LaGrange Mall in LaGrange
- Walnut Square Mall in Dalton
- Crossroads Shopping Center in Waterloo
- Southbridge Mall in Mason City
- Westland Mall in West Burlington
- Northland Plaza in DeKalb
- Quincy Mall in Quincy
- Marquette Mall in Michigan City
- Hanover Mall in Hanover
- Silver City Galleria in Taunton
- Adrian South Mall in Adrian
- Cumberland Mall in Vineland
- Hudson Valley Mall in Kingston
- Parkwood Mall in Wilson
- Randolph Mall in Asheboro
- Signal Hill Mall in Statesville
- Southgate Mall in Elizabeth City
- Eastland Mall in Columbus
- North Towne Plaza in Greenville
- Upper Valley Mall in Springfield
- Pony Village Mall in North Bend
- Chambersburg Mall in Chambersburg
- Granite Run Mall in Media
- Nittany Mall in State College
- Susquehanna Valley Mall in Hummels Wharf
- York Galleria in York
- Providence Place Mall in Providence
- Aiken Mall in Aiken
- Inlet Square Mall in Murrells Inlet
- Lakewood Mall in Aberdeen
- Market Square Mall in Brenham
- Manassas Mall in Manassas
- The Marquis in Williamsburg
- Diamond Run Mall in Rutland
- St. Albans Shopping Center in St. Albans
- Aviation Plaza in Oshkosh
- Regency Mall in Racine
- Shawano Plaza in Shawano