J.C. PENNEY OUTLET TO CLOSE DECISION COULD HURT SMALLER RETAILERS AT FALLBROOK MALL.Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Staff Writer WEST HILLS - The decision by J.C. Penney Co. to close its outlet store An outlet store or factory outlet is a retail store in which manufacturers sell their stock directly to the public through their own branded stores. The stores can be can be brick and mortar or online. in Canoga Park ends a 72-year presence by the retailer in the west San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and strikes another blow to the Fallbrook Mall. The outlet, which employs 295 full- and part-time workers, is among 47 stores that the struggling Plano, Texas-based retailer said Thursday it planned to shutter. Penney's only other California closings are a department store in Susanville and another outlet store in Eureka. The company said another seven department stores This is a list of department stores. In the case of department store groups the location of the flagship store is given. This list does not include large specialist stores, which sometimes resemble department stores. and one outlet will be closed across the country later this year. The Fallbrook store replaced a regular department store that J.C. Penney opened in the West Valley in 1929, when the community was called Owensmouth. J.C. Penney moved to Fallbrook Mall in 1966 and the store became an outlet in 1981. ``The store was one ... we considered underperforming,'' said Penney's spokesman Quinton Crenshaw cren·shaw also cran·shaw n. A variety of winter melon (Cucumis melo var. inodorus) having a greenish-yellow rind and sweet, usually salmon-pink flesh. [Origin unknown.] . ``It basically came down to financial performance.'' He declined to provide sales figures sales figures npl → cifras fpl de ventas . John E. Bradford, the store's manager, did not return phone calls seeking comment. Efforts will be made to find the workers jobs at other J.C. Penney stores in the area. Severance packages will be based on length of service, Crenshaw said. Plans call for the 160,000-square-foot, two-story store at the mall's north end to close on or before April 30. The facility, which also features a Target, Kmart, Mervyn's, Burlington Coat Factory Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 360 stores in 42 states (as of 2006). In early 2007, the first location to be opened in Canada will be at the Vaughan Mills mall in Toronto. and Sport Chalet, is owned by Chicago-based General Growth Properties General Growth Properties (NYSE: GGP) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust in the United States. It is based in Chicago, Illinois. History The company was founded by two brothers, Martin and Matthew Bucksbaum, in 1954. . The action by J.C. Penney caught mall officials by surprise. Marie Garcia, the mall's marketing manager, said that she had not received any official word from J.C. Penney officials. ``It leaves a big hole. I'm sure they (mall owners) are already looking at their options and what their plans are going to be if J.C. Penney leaves. They are pretty proactive in that,'' Garcia said. General Property officials did not return phone calls, but have previously said they plan to reposition and remodel re·mod·el tr.v. re·mod·eled also re·mod·elled, re·mod·el·ing also re·mod·el·ling, re·mod·els also re·mod·els To make over in structure or style; reconstruct. the mall. Details on the mall's future should be released in four to five weeks, said Cheryl Craig, the company's outside public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most representative. The J.C Penney outlet did attract sizable numbers of shoppers to the mall so its closing will be a blow to operators of small stores at the facility. Elie Amoun, owner of Precious Image Jewelers, has been at the mall since 1987. He used to have a long-term lease but now it can be broken in either 30 or 60 days by either party. Amoun does not know what the future plans for the mall area. But losing a big tenant like J.C. Penney will be tough to take. ``It will hurt 100 percent. We will loose business,'' he said. CAPTION(S): map Map: J.C. Penney outlet store to close |
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