PLANO, Tex. — J.C. Penney Co. announced Friday that it expects to close between 130-140 stores over the next few months.
The company said the closing would save it about $200 million and allow it to better compete online.
“We believe we must take aggressive action to better align our retail operations for sustainable growth,” said Marvin R. Ellison, chairman and chief executive officer of JCPenney. “Our decision to close stores will allow us to raise the overall brand standard of the Company and allocate capital more efficiently.”
There are nine JCPenney stores in the Mountain State. They are located in Barboursville, Bluefield, Bridgeport, Charleston, Martinsburg, Morgantown, Mount Hope, Triadelphia and Vienna.
The list of stores to close won’t be announced until mid-March.
The company said it hopes to cut approximately 6,000 jobs through early retirement. Other workers will be eligible for separation packages.
The JCPenney in Charleston is located in Town Center Mall. Sears announced last December that it will close its anchor store at Town Center by April.