JCPenney Shutters More Stores, CherryVale in Rockford Still Kicking

Another day just another department store downsizing to survive.

This time, the news is that seven JCPenney stores are set to close by the end of May, but for those of us in Illinois, none are affected this time around.

Another Round of JCPenney Closures

The head honchos at JCPenney are saying that expiring leases and market conditions are the reasons for the closures, but we know what's really going on.

Stores like JCPenney are slowly bleeding out and it's only a matter of time.

CherryVale Still Standing, for Now

Interestingly, Rockford's CherryVale Mall JCPenney location remains standing, so perhaps things are a bit different in the 815 when it comes to department store shopping.

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JCPenney representatives are calling it a "handful" of closures, avoiding the mass exodus from the marketplace.

JCPenney’s Long, Slow Retail Decline

This is just another step in the long, slow death of the brick-and-mortar experience, and nothing new for JCPenney, as they filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and have been kind of, hanging on, like your father-in-law's jean shorts, ever since.

New Owners, New Hope?

There is hope, though, for JCPenney, which is now owned by Catalyst Brands. This sounds more like a place where you'd go to get gallons of protein powder than clothing, but in all actuality, it owns Lucky Brand and Aeropostale.

Aeropostale is a good example of a retailer that was in significant trouble only to be saved Catalyst, so who knows, maybe they can save JCPenney?