JCPenney, one of the most popular American retailers, has been shuttering some of its stores since 2024. Amid recent changes in the economy and overall business trends, shoppers are wondering if JCPenney is closing down for good as a result. So, is the fan-favorite chain going out of business?
According to multiple outlets, the department store announced in June 2024 that they were shutting down several of its 600 stores.
“Regretfully, we are unable to continue our current lease terms for these store locations and have been unable to find suitable locations in the market,” JCPenney said at the time. “We are grateful to our dedicated associates and the loyal customers who have shopped at these locations throughout the years.”
Below, learn everything we know about JCPenney’s 2025 store closures.
Is JCPenney Closing?
No, despite recent store closures, JCPenney is not going out of business. In its 2024 statement, the retailer noted that they would “continue to work to make every dollar count for America’s diverse, working families and welcome them to shop at our other JCPenney stores in the area and at JCPenney.com.”
In February 2025, store closures in New Hampshire, Colorado, Idaho and more states were confirmed. In a statement obtained by The U.S. Sun, the company acknowledged the difficulties in shutting down a store.
“The decision to close a store is never an easy one, but isolated closures do happen from time to time due to expiring lease agreements, market changes or other factors,” JCPenney’s statement read. “While we do not have plans to significantly reduce our store count, we expect a handful of JCPenney stores to close by mid-year.”
How Many Stores Is JCPenney Closing?
There are more than 600 total JCPenney stores throughout the U.S., multiple outlets reported. It’s still unclear how many of them are closing down, as JCPenney indicated in February 2025 that it expected to shutter “a handful” of them by the middle of the year.
Why Is JCPenney Shutting Down Stores?
JCPenney filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2020 and shut down about 200 of its store locations, per Axios. The outlet reported that the retailer claimed its closures were “”unrelated to the recent Catalyst Brands merger,” referring to the 2025 merge with SPARC Group to create Catalyst Brands.
