JCPenney will close 7 stores in Michigan (138 nationwide)

[Cripplecreek]

JCPenney will close 138 stores nationwide in a move affecting 5,000 employees, the company announced Friday morning, March 17.

The 138 figure includes seven Michigan-based stores, ranging from the Upper Peninsula to Battle Creek.

"JCPenney is in the process of identifying relocation opportunities within the Company for esteemed leaders," the release reads. "Additionally, JCPenney will provide outplacement support services for those eligible associates who will be leaving the Company."

JCPenney reports in a news release that most closures are expected to occur in June of this year, and most liquidation sales will start April 17.


    Lakeview Square Mall -- Battle Creek
    Delta Plaza -- Escanaba
    Westshore Mall -- Holland
    Copper Country Mall -- Houghton
    Birchwood Mall -- Kingsford
    Midland Mall -- Midland
    Cascade Crossings Sault Ste. Marie

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/03/jcpenney_will_close_7_stores_i.html#incart_river_home

[Silver Pines]

I can't believe ours isn't on that list.  The Sears in the mall closed up a couple of years ago, and Macy's is going now.  The JCP store is like a graveyard. 

[catfish1957]

I can't believe ours isn't on that list.  The Sears in the mall closed up a couple of years ago, and Macy's is going now.  The JCP store is like a graveyard.

Watch for more brick and mortar to be Bezosed out of existence.

[Silver Pines]

Watch for more brick and mortar to Bezosed out of existence.

Yep, it's going. 

[mountaineer]

I can't believe ours isn't on that list.  The Sears in the mall closed up a couple of years ago, and Macy's is going now.  The JCP store is like a graveyard.

My hairdresser works out of a JCP, and that describes the mall in which her store is located. Macy's and Sears are closed. There's hardly anything there anymore but JCP and a Dick's Sporting Goods. Fortunately, it doesn't look like that location's on the chopping block, per USA Today.

[Silver Pines]

My hairdresser works out of a JCP, and that describes the mall in which her store is located. Macy's and Sears are closed. There's hardly anything there anymore but JCP and a Dick's Sporting Goods. Fortunately, it doesn't look like that location's on the chopping block, per USA Today.

@mountaineer

The only time I go to our mall is to get soap at Bath and Body Works, and sometimes I just order it online.  It's probably going to end up on that site called deadmalls.com.  (Well, that's not what it's called, but I think it's close, lol).

[Cripplecreek]

@mountaineer

The only time I go to our mall is to get soap at Bath and Body Works, and sometimes I just order it online.  It's probably going to end up on that site called deadmalls.com.  (Well, that's not what it's called, but I think it's close, lol).

There's still a JC Penny at Westwood mall in Jackson but I haven't been in there in at least 20 years. Montgomery Ward was the other Anchor store there but they've been replaced by WalMart. The mall itself has faded considerably.

On the other end of town what was a strip mall called Paka Plaza has grown into Jackson Crossing mall and is huge. Its got Target, Kohl's, Sears, Best buy, Toys R Us, Bed Bath & Beyond etc. Lots of other stuff there as well. The army recruiting office is right next to my Dentist.

[mountaineer]

Now that there's no Macy's in my area, JCP is about the only place I can find decent clothes, too.

[NavyCanDo]

As we saw with the demise of downtown shopping when large malls began opening up in the early  1960s, we are now begining to see the same cycle happening to those very same malls because of on-line shopping.

[Victoria33]

I can't believe ours isn't on that list.  The Sears in the mall closed up a couple of years ago, and Macy's is going now.  The JCP store is like a graveyard.

@CatherineofAragon

I used to buy in the store/or order, curtains and all linens from them.  When I received their catalog made up of homo men couples, and the next one of homo women couples, I called them and said never send me another catalog, and I cancelled my card.  That was several years ago and I've not bought from them since.  I also noticed their prices have gone through the roof since then.  It is no longer the store they used to be.

[bigheadfred]

There's still a JC Penny at Westwood mall in Jackson but I haven't been in there in at least 20 years. Montgomery Ward was the other Anchor store there but they've been replaced by WalMart. The mall itself has faded considerably.

On the other end of town what was a strip mall called Paka Plaza has grown into Jackson Crossing mall and is huge. Its got Target, Kohl's, Sears, Best buy, Toys R Us, Bed Bath & Beyond etc. Lots of other stuff there as well. The army recruiting office is right next to my Dentist.

The army recruiting office is right next to my Dentist.

Decisions, decisions. Get your teeth worked on or join the Army instead.  ^-^

[Cripplecreek]

The army recruiting office is right next to my Dentist.

Decisions, decisions. Get your teeth worked on or join the Army instead.  ^-^

But my dentist is a Korean Hottie.

The recruiting office has been there for years but man have things changed. Today its Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy all together. It used to be a wide open storefront with a metal gate for when they closed. Today the windows are all blacked out and covered. All the doors are also covered and have keypad card swipe security. You can't just walk in either. You have to ring a doorbell so a half dozen security cameras can look at you. When they do let you go in there's an "airlock" or bullpen where you're locked in till they open the second door.

[bigheadfred]

But my dentist is a Korean Hottie.

The recruiting office has been there for years but man have things changed. Today its Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy all together. It used to be a wide open storefront with a metal gate for when they closed. Today the windows are all blacked out and covered. All the doors are also covered and have keypad card swipe security. You can't just walk in either. You have to ring a doorbell so a half dozen security cameras can look at you. When they do let you go in there's an "airlock" or bullpen where you're locked in till they open the second door.

The joys of Islamic Extremism and unarmed Servicemen.

[Cripplecreek]

The joys of Islamic Extremism and unarmed Servicemen.

As far as I'm concerned they should be required to be armed at all times.

[Oceander]

It'll be interesting to see what uses these dead malls finally get put to.  Perhaps there will be a new round of creative housing developed out of these.  And no, I'm not talking about "diversity" housing; I'm talking about taking malls and turning them into self-contained communities that would naturally contain mixed use residential & retail in one facility.  A little like taking the traditional urban streetscape and turning it inside out, so that the "street" and the street level shopping and dining is now on the inside at the core instead of on the outside.

[bigheadfred]

As far as I'm concerned they should be required to be armed at all times.

It would shorten up the "Allahu Akbars"--"All uhhh..."

[mountaineer]

It'll be interesting to see what uses these dead malls finally get put to.  Perhaps there will be a new round of creative housing developed out of these.  And no, I'm not talking about "diversity" housing; I'm talking about taking malls and turning them into self-contained communities that would naturally contain mixed use residential & retail in one facility.  A little like taking the traditional urban streetscape and turning it inside out, so that the "street" and the street level shopping and dining is now on the inside at the core instead of on the outside.

Agreed. I wonder if some senior housing also might be possible.

[Cripplecreek]

Agreed. I wonder if some senior housing also might be possible.

Its a good idea unfortunately the planners and operators of that sort of thing tend to go off the rails. Somebody decides that low income and homeless people need housing too and start inflicting them on the senior residents.

[Oceander]

Its a good idea unfortunately the planners and operators of that sort of thing tend to go off the rails. Somebody decides that low income and homeless people need housing too and start inflicting them on the senior residents.

So you get two malls, one upscale and one downscale, and stick the "diversity" in the downscale one.

[bigheadfred]

Its a good idea unfortunately the planners and operators of that sort of thing tend to go off the rails. Somebody decides that low income and homeless people need housing too and start inflicting them on the senior residents.

Put a couple of shipping containers in the parking lot and run an extension cord. Throw out a hose and a port-a-potty. Instant homeless shelters.

[Applewood]

As we saw with the demise of downtown shopping when large malls began opening up in the early  1960s, we are now begining to see the same cycle happening to those very same malls because of on-line shopping.

It's more than online shopping.  Malls have become unsafe.  Between having your car broken into to being carjacking to being shot, people no longer feel safe in an enclosed mall.  Some malls have gone upscale.  Fine for some people, but for many who are barely making ends meet, these upscale malls are out of their price range. 

Another problem is rent.  Malls charge a very high rent.  Gets to the point where retailers just can't afford to stay.  I believe that some retailers might be able to afford the high rent, but the tenants aren't getting anything from the owners for the money they spend.  Big thing is security.  Mall owners will not spend the money on increased security. Hard to turn a profit when half of your merchandise is being stolen or trashed, or your customers are being assaulted.  So stores are either closing down or moving to where the rent is lsss

Much of the problem with Penneys goes back to some very bad business decisions. Catering to the sodomites for ome.  No more sales is another.  The idea behind the no sales policy was that prices would be so low, Penneys wouldn't need to run sales.  Well, customers didn't go for that idea.  They are bargain hunters and a sale gives them at least the illusion of a bargain.   So Penney lost their customers, and even though the sales eventually returned, the customers did not.

I still get my hair cut at Penneys.  The stylist does a good job of taming the mop on top of my head.  But I don't shop there.  Every department -- including the hair salon -- has a feeling of desperation.  This store missed the cut this time around, but I think the employees at that store know closure is coming.

[Cripplecreek]

It's more than online shopping.  Malls have become unsafe.  Between having your car broken into to being carjacking to being shot, people no longer feel safe in an enclosed mall.  Some malls have gone upscale.  Fine for some people, but for many who are barely making ends meet, these upscale malls are out of their price range. 

The "Non mall" set up is one of the reasons I think I prefer Jackson Crossing to Westwood mall. Westwood is the typical mall set up with the stores around the outside and most must be entered from the central open space of the building.

Jackson Crossing got its start as a typical strip mall in the 1960s. The basic several stores connected by an open sidewalk. As it grew it kept the strip mall flavor while enclosing the sidewalk behind glass. You can park right outside the store you're going to and walk in off the street for the most part. My dentist's office is across from Target so I walk in the door and make an immediate right turn and don't need to walk through the whole place.

[bigheadfred]

Mom used to do most of our school clothes shopping at Penney's. Last Christmas season the wife did all of her clothes shopping online.

[bigheadfred]

There has been more crime/robberies around here because, I think, of the rise of heroin use. Pillheads can't get the pills like they used to.

This guy went into a local bar waving a rifle a couple weeks back. The locals beat him senseless. Which is what people should expect messing with the locals. He got a felony charge or two. No one else was charged.

[geronl]

It'll be interesting to see what uses these dead malls finally get put to.

Settings for real-life Laser-Tag Zombie Games?