JCPenney, which in May filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced plans to close 242 locations, earlier today confirmed the first 154 stores it will shutter. The list includes seven stores in Georgia, only one of which is in metro Atlanta. The release did not confirm exactly when the stores will close, but indicated that liquidation sales are expected to begin June 12. The June closures, which are expected to take 10-16 weeks, are the first part of what the Plano, Texas-based company referred to as its "store optimization strategy."
In metro Atlanta, where the company has in recent years already trimmed its store count, the store at Northlake Mall in Tucker will close. The closure of JCPenney, an original anchor tenant, will leave the circa 1971 mall with only Macy's anchoring the center... for now. Emory Healthcare is moving forward with their previously announced plans to open in the former Sears at Northlake with other junior anchors still in talks to occupy portions of the former Kohl's [Parisian] space.
ToNeTo Atlanta had heard that the Northlake JCPenney was likely on the chopping block as long ago as last year, but had not been able to confirm with 100 percent certainty its fate. We spoke earlier this week with Tony Ruggeri, partner at ATR Corinth Partners who purchased Northlake in 2016, and he indicated that while his firm's plans for the project remain in place, delivery and opening of new tenants will be far more "staged" than he had originally hoped. Entire real estate teams have been furloughed or disbanded, so his firm's ability to get deals done with would-be tenants has been hindered significantly. Although he was tight lipped about who had committed [there are a few], he did indicate that things like curbside pick-up and other COVID-19 related updates are likely to be implemented in the mall's renovation/redevelopment.
JCPenney currently owns their "box" at Northlake, and while Ruggeri and his firm would ultimately like to control it (as they now do the Sears "box,") that has yet to happen.
The other six stores JCPenney plans to close in Georgia are:
Georgia Square - Athens
Arbor Place Mall - Douglasville
Lakeshore Mall - Gainesville
Mount Berry Mall - Rome
Statesboro Mall - Statesboro
Hatcher Point Mall - Waycross
In 2017, JCPenney closed 138 stores, none in metro Atlanta, but five of which were in Georgia at Dublin Mall in Dublin, Macon Mall in Macon, Milledgeville Mall in Milledgeville, Gateway Plaza in Thomasville, and Tifton Mall in Tifton.
JCPenney has in years past closed several stores in metro Atlanta including those at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody, Cumberland Mall near Smyrna, and Gwinnett Place Mall in Duluth.
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  |
| The former auto center at the JCPenney at Northlake Mall |
The Perimeter Mall store closed in 2002. It was demolished and replaced with a new Dillard's which opened in 2005. The Cumberland Mall store closed in 2005, before it was demolished and replaced with a Costco the following year. The JCPenney at Gwinnett Place closed in 2015 with Beauty Master now occupying its former space. JCPenney did briefly make a cameo appearance at Gwinnett Place when it "reopened" for the filming of the third season of Stranger Things in 2018.
Following the closures, JCPenney will continue to operate several stores in metro Atlanta including those at North Point Mall in Alpharetta, Mall of Georgia in Buford Mall, The Mall at Stonecrest in Lithonia, and Town Center at Cobb in Kennesaw. JCPenney also operates a store at South Point shopping center in McDonough, which is one of the chain's newest, having opened in 2008. Local sources indicate the South Point store is one JCPenney's most productive chain-wide.
Are you surprised to see JCPenney close so many stores? If you still shop at department stores, where do you do the majority of your shopping? What would you like to see replace the soon-to-close JCPenney at Northlake Mall?
Please share your thoughts below.