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Major national department store abruptly shuts four stores across several states
One of America's biggest department stores is shutting four locations.
The once-booming JCPenney has faced falling sales, and has been slowly shrinking its footprint since the pandemic.
The four closures are across as many states - Alabama, Texas, Maine and Maryland.
Three are due to shut the start of September - the Shoppes at Bel Air in Mobile, Alabama; Sikes Senter in Wichita Falls, Texas; and Elm Plaza in Waterville, Maine.
The forth, at the Westfield Annapolis Mall in Annapolis, Maryland, will close in 2025.
The four JCPenney closures are across as many states - Alabama, Texas, Maine and Maryland
Like rival Macy's, JCPenney has been battling a trend for Americans to increasingly shop online.
This trend is strongest among younger shoppers, who see department stores in particular as old fashioned.
Earlier this year, Macy's said it would close 150 stores in the next three years, leaving it with 150.
But JCPenney's bosses are painting a slightly rosier picture.
Last month, Simon Property Group CEO David Simon said it was not planning vast closures - and that it might open some.
In fact, it said the four closures were because it was unable to renew the leases. It had tried to find alternative locations in the areas but failed.
The cain also recently shut a location in Wayne Towne Center in Wayne, New Jersey - and did open across the road.
The 122-year-old retailer has faced massive challenges in recent years. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, leading to the closure of 200 stores.
Brookfield Properties and Simon Property Group bought JCPenney out of bankruptcy in 2020.
In 2023, it shut three more - in Oswego (NY), Elkhart (IN) and Detroit Lakes (MN).
And in February this year, it closed another location in Ukiah, California, a small city in the north of the state.
JCPenney now has around 660 stores, almost all as the main store in malls. It has not experimented with off-mall locations as rivals like Macy's has.
Before the pandemic, things were rosier. There was tie-up with Rihanna and her cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty.
Rihanna attends Fenty Beauty's 1-year anniversary at Sephora inside JCPenney on September 14, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York
The 122-year-old retailer has faced massive challenges in recent years. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020, leading to the closure of 200 stores
'Regretfully, we are unable to continue our current lease terms for these store locations and have been unable to find suitable locations in the market,' the company told Retail Dive last month.
'We are grateful to our dedicated associates and the loyal customers who have shopped at these locations throughout the years.
'We continue to work to make every dollar count for America's diverse, working families and welcome them to shop at our other JCPenney stores in the area and at JCPenney.com.'
Brookfield Properties and Simon Property Group bought JCPenney out of bankruptcy in 2020.
At its most recent earnings, JCPenney saw sales drop 6 per cent.
JCPenney's closures come amid a widespread 'retail apocalypse' that is seeing bricks-and-mortar stores struggle to combat rampant theft and increasingly tight margins.
By the end of April, US retailers had announced the closure of almost 2,600 stores in 2024.
Walmart, the largest retailer in the US, has shut 11 so far this year.
Earlier in April, dollar store 99 Cents Only said it will shutter ALL its 371 shops, while Best Buy closed ten in March.
Dollar Tree is closing 1,000, and drug store Rite Aid almost 800.
In recent months, there has been a spate of bankruptcies adding to store closures.
Express - a mall staple - filed for bankruptcy in April and said it would shut 95 Express outlets alongside all of its UpWest stores.
At the start of May, Rue21 - the teen fashion chain that is a fixture in malls across America - also said it will shut all its 543 US stores.