J.C. Penney Co. Inc. reopened its Regency Square Mall department store over the weekend and marked down its merchandise as the company prepares for liquidation sales at stores it will close permanently.
The Sephora beauty supplies department is closed and curtained off.
Penney said June 4 it will shut the Regency store in its first phase of 154 store closings in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.
The company closed its three Northeast Florida stores in March because of the pandemic.
The Avenues mall and Orange Park Mall stores reopened last month and are not on the closings list.
J.C. Penney said June 4 it expects to begin store closing sales at Regency and the other 153 locations after approval at a June 11 hearing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas in Corpus Christi.
It said the sales are expected to take 10 to 16 weeks to complete.
USAToday.com reported June 12 that Plano, Texas-based Penney received bankruptcy court approval June 11 to begin liquidation sales at stores that are closing permanently.
It said liquidation sales could begin as soon as the past weekend at those stores.
Signs at the two-story Regency store at 9501 Arlington Expressway don't refer to a store closure or bankruptcy.
They say “Entire Store 25%-40% off original price” with some exclusions. “Final Take Clearance” prices are savings up to 70% off.
Temporary operating hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday and noon-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
“At-risk” customers, including seniors, expectant mothers and people with “underlying health concerns,” can shop at dedicated hours 11 a.m.-noon Wednesdays and Fridays.
An associate said June 15 the store reopened June 12 and that returns would be accepted until June 24.
Like at some other clothing stores responding to the COVID-19 coronavirus, fitting rooms are closed.
