Liquidation process to begin in February

Photo by Robert Williams
The Detroit Lakes JCPenney store is one of three scheduled to close in May and one of nearly 200 that have shut its doors since 2000 as the company restructures for the long-term by concentrating on its web presence and bringing new brands to its 660 remaining physical stores.

By Robert Williams

Editor

JCPenney in Detroit Lakes will begin a liquidation process in February with the store scheduled to permanently close in mid-May, according to a company spokesperson.

JCPenney has been in retail for more than a century, but has recently faced ongoing issues, including filing for bankruptcy.

According to the company blog, in May 2020, JCPenney began a store optimization strategy to better position the company for sustainable, profitable growth. Following a comprehensive review of their retail footprint, several phases of store closures were announced in 2020 and 2021, resulting in the liquidation of 175 JCPenney locations in 40 states. 

While store closure decisions are never easy, it was a necessary step to ensure the Company’s long-term success.

Under the new ownership of Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management, JCPenney continues to operate 650+ stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, as well as our flagship store, jcp.com, to ensure customers have access to their favorite brands and merchandise.

The Detroit Lakes store joins three other closures in Minnesota located at: Riverdale Village in Coon Rapids; Grove Square Shopping Center in Maple Grove and Kandi Mall in Willmar.

JCPenney stores in Elkhart, Indiana, (population 53,949), and Oswego, New York, (population 17,100), are on the same closing schedule as the Detroit Lakes store. 

“We are grateful to our dedicated associates and the loyal customers who have shopped at our Elkhart, Oswego and Detroit Lakes locations,” the company said in an emailed statement.