J.C. Penney Beginning To Reopen Stores

PITTSBURGH, PA — J.C. Penney now has reopened 150 stores in 27 states and plans to have 500 open by June 3. The stores have been temporarily closed since March because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Protective Equipment for associates is required and the company is providing masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer. J.C. Penney has staggered shift schedules to minimize associate contact, enhanced store cleaning with a focus on high-touch areas, and added Plexiglass shields at registers. Social distancing is practiced in all stores.

In addition to offering contactless checkout from customers’ mobile devices via barcode, Contact-free curbside pickup is now available in all reopened stores.

"We’re operating differently and taking a strategic and consistent approach, keeping associate and customer safety as our top priority,” Jim DePaul, executive vice president of stores at JCPenney, said in a release. “We are excited to welcome back our loyal customers and dedicated associates. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive as we reopen our doors, focused primarily on our enhanced safety measures.”

According to the chain's website, no J.C. Penney store has reopened yet in the Pittsburgh area. The closest Penney locations that are open are in Steubenville, Clarion, Morgantown, Youngstown and Hermitage.