More than 150 JCPenney stores across the country are now back in business.
The Plano, Texas-based retailer announced that it has reopened today 34 locations in its home state, as well as 11 in Ohio, 12 in Florida and seven in Indiana. It brings the total number of operating outposts to 153 following their temporary closures as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re taking a strategic approach in reopening our stores nationwide and will continue doing so in a phased approach based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local and state mandates,” EVP of stores Jim DePaul said in a statement.
At the newly reopened stores, JCPenney has begun offering contactless checkout and curbside pickup services. Its associates are equipped with face masks, while cashiers work behind plexiglass shield barriers. All workers, according to the company, have been trained on safety practices, and its outposts are expected to be cleaned and sanitized throughout the day.
For customers, social distancing regulations continue to be enforced, while return and reward policies have been extended. JCPenney’s store operating hours have also been reduced and its outposts are now open from noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Watch on FN
“We want to ensure everyone is safe and feels comfortable as we continue to provide an engaging shopping experience,” DePaul added.
JCPenney’s brick-and-mortar fleet currently stands at 846 units. However, in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, the department store chain — which filed for bankruptcy Friday evening — revealed plans to shutter 242 doors.
It expects to close 192 stores by February 2021, or the end of the current fiscal year. An additional 50 locations will shut down the following fiscal year. At that point, JCPenney plans to operate about 604 outposts, which represented 82% of the company’s sales for the 2019 fiscal year.
The reduction of its store footprint in phases is part of JCPenney’s transformation as it undergoes Chapter 11 proceedings. The company on Friday reported $500 million in cash at hand and received debtor-in-possession financing commitments of $900 million.
