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The McMinnville J.C. Penney store will be one of 154 stores nationwide to close as the retailer deals with extensive debt and COVID-19 retail woes.
The store serves as one of the anchor tenants of the Three Star Mall on Sparta Street. The Cookeville store will remain open, the only other Upper Cumberland location. Other Tennessee locations closing include Cleveland, Columbia, Dyersburg, Kingsport and Maryville.
“While closing stores is always an extremely difficult decision, our store optimization strategy is vital to ensuring we emerge from both Chapter 11 and the COVID-19 pandemic as a stronger retailer with greater financial flexibility to allow us to continue serving our loyal customers for decades to come,” Chief Executive Jill Soltau said in a statement.
The closures would leave some 700 stores. More closures could happen later this summer.
The McMinnville store will begin its closing sale June 12. Officials said it would take 10 to 12 weeks to close the store.
J.C. Penney opened in 1902. The retailer has struggled as department stores have fallen out of favor over the last decade. COVID-19 shutdowns proved difficult to overcome for a number of retailers.
