JCPenney Co.

New York — Crunch Fitness has opened a 20,000-sq.-ft. location at the Moreno Valley Mall in Moreno Valley, Calif. Crunch Fitness’s neighbors include Harkins Theatres, Round 1, Victoria’s Secret, Zales, Aeropostale, Express, Footlocker, Forever 21, Hollister, The Children’s Place and New York & Co.

Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Sears anchor the center.

Plano, Texas – J.C. Penney Company has entered into a new partnership to develop the vacant land around its Plano, Texas, home office in the Legacy Business Park. The new partnership will be managed by Team Legacy, a venture of the Karahan Companies, Columbus Realty, and KDC.

After taking a look at some of the post-holiday sales figures, it seems like maybe I was a little too pessimistic. While the overall 2013 holiday season’s sales aren’t particularly impressive, they aren’t flat, either — which is an outcome that I had worried about.

Dallas -- J.C. Penney Company on Tuesday said its same-store sales rose 2% in the fourth quarter, which included the holiday season. It was the chain’s first positive quarterly sales result since 2011.

J.C. Penney scored its first positive quarterly sales result since 2011, reporting a same-store sales increase of 2% in the fourth quarter, which included the holiday season.

Northbrook, Ill. — Pine Tree Commercial Realty has acquired two shopping centers, one in Nevada and the other in Missouri. The developer has also broken ground on four properties, two in Illinois, one in Idaho, and one in California.

The activity brings Pine Tree’s current portfolio to 3.2 million sq. ft. in 24 properties.

Plano, Texas – J.C. Penney Co. is amending its stockholder rights plan as part of move to protect its ability to use certain funds that can be used for tax benefits.

Penney said its shareholder rights plan can now be put into effect if an individual or group acquires 4.9% or more of its outstanding stock, down from its previous 10%.

Plano, Texas – J.C. Penney Co. released its 2013 Sustainability Report, outlining sustainability initiatives pursued during fiscal year 2012 ended Feb. 2013. Highlights of the report included:

• Stores and Operations: Through the company’s energy conservation efforts, J.C. Penney has received Energy Star certification in more than 500 locations and earned the Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award for five consecutive years.

As the holiday dust clears and we settle into a new year, it’s only fitting that retailers take a moment to reflect on successes of 2013 and identify opportunities for 2014. How can we be more efficient this year? Can we waste less while producing more? Where can we make simple adjustments that add up to big bottom line savings?

Chattanooga, Tenn. — CBL & Associates Properties has announced future redevelopment and replacement plans for J.C. Penney anchor locations in the CBL portfolio that are expected to close this year.

J.C. Penney intends to close four locations in the CBL portfolio. They include stores at Hickory Point Mall in Forsyth, Ill., Janesville Mall in Janesville, Wis., Wausau Center in Wausau, Wis., and Northgate Mall in Chattanooga, Tenn. CBL anticipates the closures to occur in the second quarter of this year.