We've been tracking the 2025 retail apocalypse as beloved department stores and retail chains succumb to financial pressure, announcing their bankruptcies and store closures.
JCPenney is one of them. Just last month, there were signs of positivity for the struggling national retailer as it was acquired by Sparc Group (owner of brands like Eddie Bauer and Brooks Brothers) to create a new company called Catalyst Brands. However, this week, in an unexpected about face, JCPenney has announced that it still plans to close store locations this year in an "unrelated" turn of events. Here's what to know about JC Penney's latest troubles and which stores are planning to shutter in the coming months.
JCPenney's Recent Struggles
As we've previously reported, JCPenney went belly up during the COVID-19 pandemic after a decade of financial losses that ballooned to $4.5 billion.
The once-beloved mall brand was acquired by Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property in Sept. 2020, but proceeded to close 200 store locations in 40 states over the next two years.
Cut to Jan. 2025, and JCPenney's new merger with Sparc Group to create Catalyst Brands seemed like a positive shift in a new direction. "With a clean balance sheet, we're in great position to move forward," JCPenney's CEO Marc Rosen said at the time.
Plus, in an email to Best Life on Jan. 9, a Catalyst Brands spokesperson said, "At this time, there are no plans to close any JCPenney store locations as a result of the creation of Catalyst Brands, and customers will still experience the brands in our portfolio as they exist today."
RELATED: These Are All the Macy's Locations Closing in 2025
The Department Store's Abrupt Change of Plans
However, on Feb. 11, JCPenney confirmed to Axios that it's moving forward with plans to close 8 stores out of their 650+ locations in different states across the country over the next few months.
"While we do not have plans to significantly reduce our store count, we expect a handful of JCPenney stores to close by mid-year," a company spokesperson said in a statement to Axios, emphasizing that this move is "unrelated to the recent Catalyst Brands merger."
"The decision to close a store is never an easy one, but isolated closures do happen from time to time due to expiring lease agreements, market changes or other factors."
Which JCPenney Stores Are Closing?
According to Axios, the original list of exact store locations set to shutter was published on liquidation company SB360 Capital Partners' website, however, as of the time of this writing, it is no longer live.
Still, Axios and several other outlets are reporting that these are the exact JCPenney locations set to close:
- California: 1122 El Camino Real, San Bruno
- Colorado: 8568 E. 49th Ave., Denver
- Idaho: 4201 Yellowstone Ave., Pocatello
- Kansas: 1821 SW Wanamaker Road, Topeka
- Maryland: 1695 Annapolis Mall Road, Annapolis
- North Carolina: 3 S. Tunnel Road, Asheville
- New Hampshire: 50 Fox Run Road, Newington
- West Virginia: 401 Lee St. E, Charleston
RELATED: 5 Warnings to Shoppers From Ex-JCPenney Employees
Other victims of the 2025 retail apocalypse include JOANN, which just announced 500 store closings, and three once-iconic mall brands: Quicksilver, Billabong, and Volcom.
For the full scope of the shaky retail scene this year, a new report sheds light on just how many retail locations have shuttered so far and why some chains are being hit harder than others.
