J.C. Penney To Cut 2,000 Jobs, Close Washington County Store, 32 Others
WASHINGTON COUNTY (KDKA/AP) - Department-store operator J.C. Penney says it will cut 2,000 jobs and close 33 stores as it tries to turn around results.
The chain announced that the Washington County store in the Washington Mall will be closing by early May.
KDKA's Ralph Iannotti Reports:
The news comes after J.C. Penney earlier this month said it was pleased with holiday results but declined to give sales figures.
A strong November and December is crucial to retailers since it can account for up to 40 percent of annual sales.
The cuts should save more than $65 million annually.
The company will take $26 million in charges in the third quarter and $17 million afterward. J.C. Penney has 116,000 staffers.
All the job cuts are related to the store closings.
J.C. Penney is trying to recover from a sales spiral that occurred under former CEO Ron Johnson. The company brought back former CEO Mike Ullman in April.
KDKA's Christine D'Antonio Reports:
Amy Wagner, who was one of the few people shopping at the Washington Mall Wednesday night.
Wagner said she was terribly disappointed with the news that the local J.C. Penny store was closing, she called it "very sad."
She loved shopping at the store, Wagner said, and she remembered going there with her grand parents a long time ago.
Another J.C. Penny shopper tonight, Brittany Moyar, said she once worked at the local store, and it had a great atmosphere.
Moyar said she was both disappointed and surprised by the news of it being closed.
Two other J.C. Penny stores in Pennsylvania are also among the 33 being closed, they're both on the other side of the state.
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