NEW YORK (AP) — J.C. Penney Co. said Friday it is delaying the closure of 138 stores by several weeks after more people started visiting those locations, including three in Louisiana:
• North Shore Square in Slidell
• Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge
• Park Terrace in DeRidder
The stores will now shut down on July 31 instead of in mid-June. And liquidation sales will start at those stores on May 22 instead of April 17.
Like other department stores, J.C. Penney Co. is hurting as more people shop online instead of heading to the mall. The closures are part of the company's previously announced plans to focus on its best-performing stores.
About 5,000 jobs will be cut due to the closures, J.C. Penney said. The company had about 105,000 full and part-time employees last year.
Nine stores will close in Texas, the most of any state. Eight will close in Minnesota and seven will be shut in both Michigan and Pennsylvania.
The closings will leave J.C. Penney with a total of about 900 stores.
Approximately 5,000 positions nationwide will be impacted by the store closures, most of which will occur in June.
