Following back and forth, Annapolis Mall JCPenney will close, lay off 65

Going-out-of-business sale signs are up at the Annapolis Mall JCPenney as it prepares for closure in August. Benjamin Rothstein/Staff

After months of back and forth, the JCPenney in the Annapolis Mall will be closing after all.

It all began back in March, when the store posted a Maryland Work Adjustment and Retraining Notification, which requires employees and the public to be told of mass layoffs or plant closures at least 60 days in advance. The notice came alongside several other JCPenney closures across the country, which the company attributed to a changing market. The closure was set to take place in mid-May.

In April, going-out-of-business signs were removed from the windows. JCPenney said the planned closure was a leasing issue, not a financial one, and that it had managed to extend the lease to August with plans to go even further. At the time, the company was optimistic about making a deal. Those lease extension plans did not come to fruition, however.

“Unfortunately, we were not able to negotiate a long-term lease for the JCPenney store at the Westfield Annapolis Mall in Annapolis, MD, and have been unable to find another suitable location in the market,” the company wrote in a statement. “We are grateful to our dedicated associates and the loyal customers who have shopped at our Annapolis, MD, location through the years, and we hope to continue serving them throughout our nearly 650 stores nationwide and at JCPenney.com.”

The store will close permanently Aug. 17. It is the only JCPenney store in the state set to close. The first WARN said 74 employees would be laid off, but an updated listing on Monday reduced the number to 65. It is unclear why the number changed.

On Wednesday, the store was noticeably emptier with “going-out-of-business” signs posted once again. Though they chose not to give their names, several customers expressed sadness at the closure, with one saying several of her children worked at the store for their first jobs.

It is unclear if previous redevelopment plans to turn the space into a OneLife Fitness, Grocery Outlet, and Hobby Lobby will continue as scheduled. OneLife’s website still lists a 2025 opening date. Centennial, the mall’s owner and operator, did not respond to a request for comment.

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