Mount Vernon’s Penney’s store to close in spring

The J.C. Penney store in Mount Vernon will close this spring, putting 25 employees out of work.

The store is one of eight that the retailer plans to close throughout the country, according to Penney’s officials. The Plano, Texas-based retailer does not plan to close any additional stores in Ohio this year, said spokesman Carter English in an email.

The closure of the store in Mount Vernon’s Knox Village Square is part of the company’s “ongoing efforts to achieve sustainable growth and longterm profitability,” English said. As part of that effort, Penney’s continually evaluates its store portfolio and, as part of that review, decided to close the store.

The other seven stores include the St. Louis location which closed last month and another that’s closing March 10 in Paramus, New Jersey. The remaining five stores, in Galesburg, Illinois; Alexandria, Minnesota; Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Burlington, Washington; and Calexico, California, are closing in May.

Penney’s will “go to great lengths” to relocate some of the 25 employees at the Mount Vernon store and, if possible, assist others in finding jobs at other stores, the spokesman said. Others will receive separation benefits, including outplacement support and an on-site career training class.

The announcement is the second hit this month to the Mount Vernon economy.

Siemens AG said it will close its Mount Vernon plant over the next year, putting about 400 employees out of work.

The store liquidation process will begin March 5, and the Mount Vernon store will close on or about May 12, the spokesman said.

J.C. Penney and other retailers have been closing stores as consumers increasingly buy online.

The retailer closed 139 stores last year, leaving the retailer with 874 stores. That’s well down from just a few years ago when it operated 1,100.

This week, J.C. Penney also said it plans to close its Milwaukee distribution and customer-care center beginning this summer, sending work from that facility to its Columbus and Lenexa, Kansas, operations.