J.C. Penney is closing 154 stores. The one in Fairview Heights isn’t on the list.
The J.C. Penney store at St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights isn’t part of the company’s first round of planned closings.
There are 154 stores slated for closure this summer, including those in Carbondale, Mount Vernon, Freeport, Calumet City and Bourbonnais in Illinois, according to a list posted on a company blog.
The closures were announced in a J.C. Penney news release Thursday. They weren’t unexpected, as the Texas-based company filed for bankruptcy in mid-May, and officials have expressed an intent to downsize.
“While closing stores is always an extremely difficult decision, our store optimization strategy is vital to ensuring we emerge from both Chapter 11 and the COVID-19 pandemic as a stronger retailer with greater financial flexibility to allow us to continue serving our loyal customers for decades to come,” CEO Jill Soltau stated in the news release.
“I am incredibly grateful to our talented associates for their ongoing dedication and their passion for meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations during this difficult and uncertain time. All impacted associates will be treated with the utmost consideration and respect.”
The J.C. Penney store in Fairview Heights has been temporarily closed since March 21, when Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order took effect to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which causes the respiratory disease COVID-19.
St. Clair Square reopened on Monday with about a third of its stores and kiosks as part of Phase 3 of Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan for restarting the economy. Managers expected other stores to follow gradually. As of Friday, J.C. Penney was still closed.
Slightly more than a year ago, the mall lost its Sears store, which had been operating at that location for 44 years. Its two other anchor department stores, Macy’s and Dillards, both reopened this week.
The J.C. Penney news release stated that store closings would begin after an order is entered at a June 11 hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas.
“The Company expects additional phases of store closing sales will begin in the coming weeks,” according to the release. “As the Company remains focused on its Plan for Renewal and driving sustainable, profitable growth, it intends to reduce its store footprint and focus resources on its strongest stores and powerful eCommerce flagship store, jcp.com.”
Closing sales at the 154 stores are expected to last 10 to 16 weeks.
J.C. Penney has reopened nearly 500 stores across the country in recent weeks as states have loosened COVID-19 restrictions, and the company plans to reopen more, according to the news release.
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 3:16 PM.