J.C. Penney Co., the 118-year-old retailer currently in bankruptcy, released the list of 154 stores it intends to close this summer, including the J.C. Penney location at Woodmore Towne Centre in Lanham, Maryland.
J.C. Penney Co. has 20 stores in Virginia and Maryland. Other stores on the list that will close include Abington and LaVale in Maryland and Staunton and Danville in Virginia.
The chain said closing sales at those stores will begin June 12 and will last anywhere from 10 to 16 weeks.
It will announce additional phases of store closings in the coming weeks.
J.C. Penney Co. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization May 15.
“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,” said Chief Executive Jill Soltau in a statement.
As of June 4, J.C. Penney Co. has reopened nearly 500 stores that were closed at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
Businessman James Cash Penney opened his first department store in Kemmerer, Wyoming, in 1902.