Two of J.C. Penney’s area department stores are open, while a third remains closed.
Locations at the Orange Park Mall and The Avenues mall have reopened on a limited basis. J.C. Penney at Regency Square Mall remains closed.
The two reopened locations operate from noon-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.
On Wednesday and Friday, the stores will offer an extra hour for at-risk shoppers from 11 a.m.-noon. That includes senior citizens, expectant mothers and those with underlying health problems. It did not define the age for senior citizens.
Both Northeast Florida stores that are open are offering curbside pickup. Staff members are required to wear masks and gloves, plexiglass has been added at registers, and social distancing and safety signage will be in place. The stores have increased sanitization frequency.
A J.C. Penney spokesperson said she had no information on when the Regency Square Mall location would reopen, but another announcement for more store openings will be made next week. Regency Square Mall management could not be reached for comment.
According to a release, J.C. Penney plans to reopen 500 stores by June 3. It has reopened 150 stores nationwide, according to a May 28 release.
“We’ve now reopened a third of our stores and plan to have nearly 500 reopened by June 3. To do this, we’re operating differently and taking a strategic and consistent approach, keeping associate and customer safety as our top priority,” said Jim DePaul, executive vice president of stores, in a release.
On May 15, the company announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and would “reduce its store footprint to better align its business with the current operating environment.” Stores will close in phases, but the affected stores have not been announced.