Clarion Penney store back open; site not on company’s closure list

The sign in the window of the J.C. Penney store in Clarion says “We are open,” and that’s good news for the Clarion Mall.

“It is wonderful to know that Penney’s will be here,” mall manager Denny Hill said Friday. “In the past few weeks people have been anticipating J.C. Penney’s reopening and finally they are open,” Hill added.

“I know their hours are somewhat limited now, but I look forward to the day when they go back to regular hours,” Hill said. “I hope to get back to our regular mall hours very shortly.”

The future of the Penney store at the mall was in doubt when the company announced Thursday the closing of more stores.

On Thursday, J.C. Penney Inc. said it has taken the first step in implementing its store optimization strategy with the planned closure of 154 stores.

The Clarion Mall store was not on the list of stores closing when the company identified the first phase of 154 store closures.

The chain employs nearly 85,000 workers at 850 stores across the U.S., including locations in Clarion, Butler, DuBois, Hermitage, and Indiana.

The DuBois store will also remain open.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic temporarily closed hundreds of its stores, J.C. Penney racked up nearly $4 billion in debt amid continued competition from e-commerce and brick-and-mortar discount retailers, according to wire service stories.

Following entry of an order at a hearing next week with U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, store closing sales will begin at the 154 locations that will be shut down.

In Pennsylvania, stores closing during this phase will be at the Clearview Mall in Butler, North Hanover Mall in Hanover, Beaver Valley Mall in Monaca, Monroeville Mall, and Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills in Tarentum.

The company expects additional phases of store closing sales will begin in the coming weeks. Sales for the first round of closures are expected to take 10 to 16 weeks to complete.