J.C. Penney Is Delaying the Closing of These 138 Stores

The department store said on Thursday that it was postponing the liquidation sales and closings of those stores by a few weeks after shopper traffic and sales picked up at those locations. The news pared a sharp decline in Penney’s shares earlier in the day. CNBC was first to report the news.

“Since the company announced its store closure list, those stores have seen better-than-expected sales and traffic,” J.C. Penney spokeswoman Daphne Avila told Coins2Day. At the same time, she noted, the company saw the improvement as likely “a temporary surge,” meaning the stores will still close, just later than planned.

Avila said it was not unusual to see a sales spike at a store set to be closed as many shoppers come for a last look or want to grab an item on liquidation. The delay also aims not to undermine the current spring and summer merchandise’s sales, a move that could lower any damage to gross margins from the clearance sales. So Penney’s liquidation sales will start on May 22 rather than April 17. And stores will now all be closed by July 31.

Penney, whose sales growth stalled last year, leaving its total revenue still well below 2012 levels before it embarked on a disastrous reinvention, had this winter slated the stores, mostly in small markets and in dying malls, for closing. The retailer said it wanted to focus on stores with greatest potential to see a bounce from its efforts to kickstart growth such as expanding Sephora beauty shops, remodeling its hair salons and its upcoming home improvement services.

Penney reported a 0.7% decline in comparable sales for the holiday quarter, the third period out of four last fiscal year to see business soften. The results were a setback for a retailer that had seen comparable sales grow in the previous two years. The chain operates 1,020 stores, but the locations in question are smaller and generated about 5% of company sales last year.

The company had long hesitated to close stores, saying they were crucial in supporting its e-commerce pick up distribution and order pick-up hubs.

Penney has plenty of company among retailers closing stores: Macy’s and Sears are leading the big box charge, while a number of smaller chains like Payless ShoeSource and Abercrombie & Fitch are also dumping stores.

Here is a list of the J.C. Penney stores set to close, just a few weeks later:

Auburn Mall, Auburn, AL
Tannehill Promenade, Bessemer, AL
Gadsden Mall, Gadsden, AL
Jasper Mall, Jasper, AL
Military Plaza, Benton, AR
Chickasaw Plaza, Blytheville, AR
Riverview Mall, Bullhead City, AZ
Downtown Bishop, Bishop, CA
Sunwest Plaza, Lodi, CA
The Village at Orange, Orange, CA
Hilltop Mall, Richmond, CA
Fort Morgan Main St., Fort Morgan, CO
Glenwood Springs Mall, Glenwood Springs, CO
St. Vrain Centre, Longmont, CO
Broadway Plaza, Sterling, CO
Connecticut Post Mall, Milford, CT
Jacksonville Regional Shopping Center, Jacksonville, FL
Palatka Mall, Palatka, FL
Dublin Mall, Dublin, GA
Macon Mall, Macon, GA
Milledgeville Mall, Milledgeville, GA
Gateway Plaza, Thomasville, GA
Tifton Mall, Tifton, GA
Downtown Decorah, Decorah, IA
Crossroads Mall, Fort Dodge, IA
Penn Central Mall, Oskaloosa, IA
Quincy Place, Ottumwa, IA
Snake River Plaza, Burley ID
Eastland Mall, Bloomington, IL
Fulton Square, Canton, IL
Village Square Mall, Effingham, IL
Macomb, IL
Peru Mall, Peru, IL
Northland Mall, Sterling, IL
Centerpointe of Woodridge, Woodridge, IL
FairOaks Mall, Columbus, IN
Connersville Plaza, Connersville, IN
Huntington Plaza, Huntington, IN
Jasper Manor Center, Jasper, IN
Logansport Mall, Logansport, IN
Chanute Square, Chanute, KS
Downtown Great Bend, Great Bend, KS
Hutchinson Mall, Hutchinson, KS
Lawrence KS
Winfield Plaza, Winfield, KS
Cortana Mall, Baton Rouge, LA
Park Terrace, DeRidder, LA
North Shore Square, Slidell, LA
Berkshire Mall, Lanesborough, MA
Easton Marketplace, Easton, MD
Rockland Plaza, Rockland, ME
Lakeview Square Mall, Battle Creek, MI
Delta Plaza, Escanaba, MI,
Westshore Mall, Holland, MI
Copper Country Mall, Houghton, MI
Birchwood Mall, Kingsford, MI
Midland Mall, Midland, MI
Cascade Crossings, Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Central Lakes Crossing, Baxter, MN
Five Lakes Centre, Fairmont, MN
Faribo West Mall, Faribault, MN
Irongate Plaza. Hibbing, MN
Hutchinson Mall, Hutchinson, MN
Red Wing Mall, Red Wing, MN
Downtown Thief River Falls, Thief River Falls, MN
Winona MN
Maryville Center, Maryville, MO
Leigh Mall, Columbus, MS
Southgate Plaza, Corinth, MS
Greenville Mall, Greenville, MS
Bonita Lakes Mall, Meridian, MS
Oxford Mall, Oxford, MS
Capital Hill Mall, Helena, MT
Sidney Main Street, Sidney, MT
Albemarle Crossing, Albemarle, NC
Boone Mall, Boone, NC
Eastridge Mall, Gastonia, NC
Blue Ridge Mall, Hendersonville, NC
Monroe Crossing, Monroe, NC
Becker Village Mall, Roanoke Rapids, NC
Prairie Hills Mall, Dickinson, ND
Buffalo Mall, Jamestown, ND
Downtown Wahpeton, Wahpeton, ND
Fremont Mall, Fremont, NE
Downtown McCook, McCook, NE
Platte River Mall, North Platte, NE
Rio Grande Plaza, Rio Grande, NJ
The Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV
Dunkirk-Fredonia Plaza, Dunkirk, NY
Westfield Sunrise, Massapequa, NY
Palisades Center, West Nyack, NY
Findlay Village Mall, Findlay, OH
New Towne Mall, New Philadelphia, OH
Richmond Town Square, Richmond Heights, OH
St. Mary’s Square, St. Marys, OH
Altus Plaza, Altus, OK
Ne-Mar Shopping Center, Claremore, OK
Ponca Plaza, Ponca City,OK
Pioneer Square Shopping Center, Stillwater, OK
Astoria Downtown, Astoria, OR
Grants Pass Shopping Center, Grants Pass, OR
La Grande Downtown, La Grande, OR
Downtown Pendleton, Pendleton, OR
The Dalles Main Street, The Dalles, OR
Columbia Mall, Bloomsburg, PA
Clearfield Mall, Clearfield, PA
King of Prussia Mall, King of Prussia, PA
Philadelphia Mills, Philadelphia, PA
Bradford Towne Centre, Towanda, PA
Lycoming Mall, Pennsdale, PA
Willow Grove Park, Willow Grove, PA
Citadel Mall, Charleston, SC
Town ‘N Country, Easley, SC
Palace Mall, Mitchell, SD
Northridge Plaza, Pierre, SD
Watertown Mall, Watertown, SD
Yankton Mall, Yankton, SD
Greeneville Commons, Greeneville, TN
Knoxville Center, Knoxville, TN
County Market Place, Union City, TN
Athens Village Shopping Center, Athens, TX
Borger Shopping Plaza, Borger, TX
Heartland Mall, Early, TX
El Paso Downtown, El Paso, TX
Marshall Mall, Marshall,TX
McAllen, TX
University Mall, Nacogdoches, TX
King Plaza Shopping Center, Seguin TX
Bosque River Center, Stephenville TX
New River Valley Mall, Christiansburg, VA
Tanglewood Mall Roanoke, VA
Pilchuck Landing, Snohomish, WA
Pine Tree Mall, Marinette, WI
Marshfield Mall, Marshfield, WI
Richland Square Shopping Center, Richland Center WI
Rapids Mall, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Foxcroft Towne Center, Martinsburg, WV
Downtown Sheridan, Sheridan,WY