J.C. Penney announced Thursday that the department store chain will not shutter its store at the Westfield South Shore mall in Bay Shore, Long Island.
That would have been part of a larger wave of closures for the distressed retailer: In May, J.C. Penney announced it would close 136 of its stores, and in June, it added 13 more stores to that list, including the Bay Shore location.
But last month, a company spokesperson told Newsday that the retailer would alter its plans in order to possibly rescue the Bay Shore outpost, among other locations. Thursday’s announcement makes it official.
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The closing of the store would have affected 136 employees, according to a notice filed with the New York State Labor Department.
J.C. Penney filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May, citing the pandemic as the main reason. Mall operators Simon Property Group and Brookfield Property Partners — who are landlords of many Penney stores — are in the process of acquiring the retailer to avoid liquidation. Authentic Brands has also joined the deal to take over the chain, which is valued at $1.75 billion.