Major national department store abruptly shuts four stores across several states

One of America's biggest section stores is shutting 4 locations.

The once-booming JCPenney has faced falling sales, and has been slow shrinking its footprint since nan pandemic.

The 4 closures are crossed arsenic galore states - Alabama, Texas, Maine and Maryland. 

Three are owed to unopen nan commencement of September - nan Shoppes astatine Bel Air successful Mobile, Alabama; Sikes Senter successful Wichita Falls, Texas; and Elm Plaza successful Waterville, Maine.

The forth, astatine nan Westfield Annapolis Mall successful Annapolis, Maryland, will adjacent successful 2025. 

Like rival Macy's, JCPenney has been battling a inclination for Americans to progressively shop online. 

This inclination is strongest among younger shoppers, who spot section stores successful peculiar arsenic aged fashioned.

Earlier this year, Macy's said it would adjacent 150 stores successful nan adjacent 3 years, leaving it pinch 150. 

But JCPenney's bosses are coating a somewhat rosier picture. 

Last month, Simon Property Group CEO David Simon said it was not readying immense closures - and that it mightiness unfastened some. 

In fact, it said nan 4 closures were because it was incapable to renew nan leases. It had tried to find replacement locations successful nan areas but failed. 

The cain besides precocious unopen a location successful Wayne Towne Center successful Wayne, New Jersey - and did unfastened crossed nan road.  

The 122-year-old retailer has faced monolithic challenges successful caller years. It revenge for Chapter 11 bankruptcy successful 2020, starring to nan closure of 200 stores.

Brookfield Properties and Simon Property Group bought JCPenney retired of bankruptcy successful 2020. 

In 2023, it unopen 3 much - successful Oswego (NY), Elkhart (IN) and Detroit Lakes (MN).

And successful February this year, it closed different location successful Ukiah, California, a mini metropolis successful nan northbound of nan state.

JCPenney now has astir 660 stores, almost each arsenic nan main shop successful malls. It has not experimented pinch off-mall locations arsenic rivals for illustration Macy's has. 

Before nan pandemic, things were rosier. There was tie-up pinch Rihanna and her cosmetics marque Fenty Beauty.  

'Regretfully, we are incapable to proceed our existent lease position for these shop locations and person been incapable to find suitable locations successful nan market,' nan institution told Retail Dive past month. 

'We are grateful to our dedicated associates and nan loyal customers who person shopped astatine these locations passim nan years. 

'We proceed to activity to make each dollar count for America's diverse, moving families and invited them to shop astatine our different JCPenney stores successful nan area and astatine JCPenney.com.' 

Brookfield Properties and Simon Property Group bought JCPenney retired of bankruptcy successful 2020. 

At its astir caller earnings, JCPenney saw income driblet 6 per cent. 

JCPenney's closures travel amid a wide 'retail apocalypse' that is seeing bricks-and-mortar stores struggle to combat rampant theft and progressively tight margins. 

By nan extremity of April, US retailers had announced the closure of almost 2,600 stores successful 2024.  

Walmart, nan largest retailer successful nan US, has unopen 11 truthful acold this year.

Earlier successful April, dollar shop 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 supplier shop Rite Aid almost 800.

In caller months, location has been a spate of bankruptcies adding to shop closures.

Express - a promenade staple - revenge for bankruptcy successful April and said it would unopen 95 Express outlets alongside each of its UpWest stores.    

At nan commencement of May, Rue21 - nan teen manner concatenation that is simply a fixture successful malls crossed America -  also said it will unopen all  its 543 US stores.