NEW YORK (AP) — J.C. Penney says it is closing 154 stores nationwide in what it is calling the first phase of its efforts to shrink its footprint.
Three stores in Kansas are on the list of stores to close including the store at the Central Mall in Salina, the store on North Kansas Avenue in Liberal and the store at Flint Hills Village in Emporia.
In Missouri, the company will close the store at Bolger Square in Independence and the store at the Kirksville Shopping Center.
Click here to see a full list of stores that will close.
The Plano, Texas-based retailer said it could take about 10 to 16 weeks to complete the closures.
Penney filed for bankruptcy protection last month, making it the biggest retailer to do since the coronavirus pandemic forced non-essential stores to be shut down temporarily.
As part of its bankruptcy reorganization, Penney said it planned to permanently close nearly a third of its 846 stores in the next two years. That would leave it with just over 600 locations.