J.C. Penney has delayed the closings of 15 stores that were scheduled to shutter in March and added three locations to its closure list, according to a report by USA TODAY. The 15 that were set to close this month include the location in the Southern Hills Center in West Plains.
In mid-December, J.C. Penney said it would shutter more stores in the spring after already closing 150-plus stores since filing for bankruptcy. The December list included the West Plains location.
The department store chain was one of the largest retailers to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection during the COVID-19 pandemic, and officials said in May 2020 they planned to close about 29% of its 846 stores or 242 locations.
Since then, 156 stores have permanently closed and in December emerged from bankruptcy after being acquired by mall owners Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
Now, a total of 18 stores are scheduled to close in mid-May bringing the closures to 174.
“Our go-forward store count is 672. We have 18 stores that are scheduled to close to the public on May 16,” J.C. Penney says in a brief statement to USA TODAY. “There are no additional store closures planned at this time.”
Officials would not answer questions on why the closings were delayed until May.
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