J.C. Penney details more store closings

J.C. Penney is getting ready to kick off its second phase of store closing sales as part of its "store optimization" strategy. And there are still more to come.

The department store retailer announced an additional 13 store closures (list at end of article), pending court approval. Store sales are expected to begin on or around July 3.

Last week, Penney kicked off its first wave of store closings, with liquidation sales starting at 136 locations on June 17. The company anticipates another round of store closings, phase three, to be announced at a later date.

“These decisions were made based on a comprehensive evaluation of our retail footprint and a careful analysis of store performance and future strategic fit for J.C. Penney,” a spokesperson for the retailer said.  

Nearly all of Penney’s approximate 850 stores have reopened after temporarily closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with safety precautions in place. 

Here is a list of Penney’s new store closures (the full list of all announced store closures is available on its stores closing landing page).