JCPenney fans have been urged to ‘shop in person’ after the retailer announced it would shutter eight stores in different states this year.
The chain, founded in 1902 and selling goods such as apparel, jewelry, and beauty products, has joined the long list of brands forced to cut their outlets amid tough financial conditions. Others include Macy's, which said it would close 150 branches over the next few years, and craft company Joann, which told shoppers it was going out of business altogether.
Meanwhile, Walgreens has confirmed plans to shut 500 stores, while Party City and CVS have also been victims of the recent deluge of store closures leaving a 'stain' on US cities. And fears have grown that Donald Trump’s trade wars could cause the economy to slump even further over the coming year. Long-time fans of JCPenney took to social media to share their sadness after the closures were announced in February. But some have since urged their fellow shoppers to protect the brand and others by buying goods in person.
One penned: “Why are so many stores really closing? Everywhere I shop, many mall stores.” Another urged: “People! We need to shop in person at our local stores! Buying online is causing stores to close! Shop in town and meet your neighbors!” A further social media user added: “This! Shop local!!! Not online!” Another went on: “Preach it daily! Keep our local stores. They support the schools and churches! We need human connections for a better society.”
The shops closing are as follows:
- The Shops at Tanforan in San Bruno, California
- The Shops At Northfield in Denver, Colorado
- Pine Ridge Mall in Pocatello, Idaho
- West Ridge Mall in Topeka, Kansas
- Westfield Annapolis Mall in Annapolis, Maryland
- Fox Run Mall in Newington, New Hampshire
- Asheville Mall in Asheville, North Carolina
- Charleston Town Center in Charleston, West Virginia
A JCPenney spokesperson previously said, per Axios, “While we do not have plans to significantly reduce our store count, we expect a handful of JCPenney stores to close by mid-year… The decision to close a store is never an easy one, but isolated closures do happen from time to time due to expiring lease agreements, market changes or other factors.”
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The enduring effects of the pandemic and changing consumer preferences towards online shopping have continued to challenge physical retail stores. Some industry observers have even suggested that COVID-19 was the catalyst for a "retail apocalypse.", reports the Mirror US.
Coresight Research predicts that around 15,000 stores are poised to close in 2025, which is almost double the number that shut their doors last year. In stark contrast, only about 5,800 new stores are expected to open, reflecting a slight reduction from the previous year's openings.
Numerous prominent retailers, including Kohl's, Bargain Hunt, Big Lots, Walgreens, Macy's, and Starbucks, have been downsizing. Some brands have even resorted to filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
The decision to close stores also follows JCPenney's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in May 2020, which reduced its store count from approximately 850 to about 650.
Despite this, the company reportedly remains hopeful about the potential of its merger with Sparc. CEO Marc Rosen expressed that the merger would enable both entities to "leverage [their] resources and best-in-class industry talent to grow [their] brands further."
