The Warsaw JCPenney in Marketplace Shopping Center has been named among 33 stores to be closed by May. It is one of two Indiana locations to close, the other in Marion. Nationwide the closures are expected to result in the loss of about 2,000 jobs. Management at the Warsaw location declined to comment on the closure, and attempts to contact the corporate office were unsuccessful as of this morning. Plano, Texas-based J.C. Penney Co. Inc. said in a release Wednesday that, “as part of its turnaround efforts,” it is closing “underperforming stores across the country in order to focus its resources on the company's highest potential growth opportunities.” The closures are expected to save the company about $65 million annually. Remaining inventory in the affected stores will be sold over the next several months, with final closings expected to be complete by early May, according to the Wednesday statement. Eligible associates who do not remain with the company are said to receive separation benefits packages. J.C. Penney previously closed its Plainfield distribution center in September 2012, resulting in 230 layoffs. The company also announced Wednesday that it still plans to open a new location later this year in Brooklyn, N.Y.
