Cape not on list of stores Penney's plans to close

J.C. Penney has released a list of more than 150 stores it plans to close this summer as part of the company’s reorganization plan, and Cape Girardeau is not on it.

The Cape Girardeau store, which has been an anchor retailer at West Park Mall since the shopping center opened in 1981, closed in mid-March along with the rest of the mall due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It reopened a few days ago, several weeks after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced plans to close nearly 30% of its 846 stores. The Texas-based retailer, which has had a presence in Cape Girardeau since 1924, said it expected to close 192 stores by February followed by another 50 locations in 2022, leaving the company with just over 600 stores.

According to a list released Thursday night, 154 stores in 20 states will be permanently closed this summer in the “first phase” of the company’s downsizing process. While the Cape Girardeau location is not on the initial closure list, two other Missouri locations — in Kirksville and Independence — are targeted for closure along with stores in Carbondale and Mount Vernon in Southern Illinois.

“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,” Jill Soltau, J.C. Penney’s chief executive officer said in a news release announcing the store closures.

As of last week, J.C. Penney had reopened nearly 500 locations, including its West Park Mall location, since state governments began easing COVID-19 restrictions.

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