Up To 140 J.C. Penney’s Closing

J.C. Penney announced on Monday that they will close 130 to 140 stores across the country in the coming months.  The retailer, which operates an anchor store in Rimrock Mall, announced the store closings on Monday, as well as two distribution centers, in an effort to cut costs.  J.C. Penney officials say they expect to release a list of which stores are closing within the next few months.

Rimrock Mall spokesman Daron Olson said the company did not contact anyone at Rimrock about the closures.  J.C. Penney is also initiating a voluntary early retirement program for about 6,000 employees companywide.  As an anchor tenant, J.C. Penney plays a key role in attracting foot traffic.  They lost an anchor in 2014, when Scheels Sporting Goods left for a store at Shiloh Crossing.  Billings lost Kmart, Sports Authority, Hastings and Hancock Fabrics in 2016.