JC's 5 Star Outlet to close doors

After more than 50 years in business, JC's 5 Star Outlet/J.C. Penney Outlet will be closing all 15 outlet stores in 14 states.

"Going Out of Business" or "Total Inventory Blowout" sales will start Wednesday in each outlet store, offering consumers $70 million worth of name brand and private label products at significant discounts from the already low outlet prices of 25-75% off comparative retail.

The outlet stores trace their roots to the J.C. Penney’s 1962 purchase of a Milwaukee, Wis., mail order company, the General Merchandise Company. In 1963 the retailer opened its first outlet store in Wauwatosa, Wis. This original store, selling overstocked and discontinued merchandise, was advertised as "Penney's Catalog Warehouse Outlet, an all-new, revolutionary type of Penney store."

The outlet stores, which had been designated for closure by J.C. Penney, were acquired by SB Acquisitions Oct. 2011.

Glen Gammons, the former head of the J.C. Penney Outlet Store Division, and CEO of JC's 5 Star Outlet, said closing the outlet stores was a painful decision.

"The closing of the outlets was necessitated by the precipitous decline of sales," Gammons said. "After exploring all the alternatives, we could no longer incur the losses resulting from the continued operation of the outlet stores. We wish to thank all of our associates for their hard work and dedication to the company throughout the years."

JC's 5 Star Outlet/J.C. Penney Outlet sells a wide range of private-label and national-brand apparel, shoes and accessories for the entire family, as well as small electrics, domestics, housewares and other products for the home.

In addition to the inventory liquidation, fixtures and equipment from the stores also will be sold.

JC's 5 Star Outlet/J.C. Penney Outlet locations:

• Decatur Mall, 1801 Beltline Rd. SW, Decatur, Ala.

• Arizona Mills Mall, 5000 S. Arizona Mills Circle, Tempe, Ariz.

• Ontario Mills Mall, 4410 Mills Circle, Ontario, Calif.

• Sawgrass Mills Mall, 12801 West Sunrise Blvd, Sunrise, Fla.

• 5500 S. Expressway, I-75 at Exit 237, Forest Park, Ga.

• Machesney Park Mall, 8702 N. 2nd Street, Machesney Park, Ill.

• 9495 W. 75th Street, I-35 at 75th St., Overland Park, Kan.

• 3430 Preston Highway, I-65 at Exit 131B, Louisville, Ky.

• Jamestown Mall, 246 Jamestown Mall, Florissant, Mont.

• 190 East Glendale Avenue, Sparks, Nev.

• 2361 Park Crescent Drive Rolling Acres Mall, 2442 Romig Road, Akron, Ohio

• Fairgrounds Square Mall, 3050 N. 5th Street Highway, Reading, Pa.

• Grapevine Mills Mall, 3000 Grapevine Mills Parkway, Grapevine, Texas

• Liberty Fair Mall, 240 Commonwealth Blvd., Martinsville, Va.