JC Penney To Close Newark Store

NEWARK, CA — JC Penney plans to close the Newark store at NewPark Mall, according to an official filing with the California Employment Development Department. The closure is expected to be complete by early May, with 60 employees losing their jobs.

A call to the store Wednesday morning went unanswered. Information on when store closing sales will begin is not immediately available.

JC Penney announced at the end of last month that it would close 24 stores nationwide, but did not name them.

The so-called Retail Apocalypse of 2019 has been brutal, with Payless ShoeSource, Gap, Victoria's Secret, Foot Locker, Charlotte Russe, Abercrombie & Fitch and Dollar Tree all announcing store closures in addition to JC Penney. The running total is about 4,800 stores.

However, some retailers are adding stores. Costco is opening 20 new stores this year, Ulta is adding 80 stores and TJ MAXX and Marshalls are opening 60, giving hope that the anchor store in Newark won't remain empty for long.

As for Penney's, the closest stores after NewPark closes are Southland Mall in Hayward, Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton and Eastridge Mall in San Jose.

This is the second large job loss announced in Newark this year. CEVA Logistics filed paperwork with the state in mid-February indicating that 116 people would be laid off by mid-April.

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