Grand Island's JCPenney store among 154 closing

As more stores close in malls across the country, the Conestoga Mall in Grand Island is about to take another major hit. It's losing a flagship retailer.

JCPenney said Thursday it would start closing 154 stores in 20 states, including the store in Grand Island.

At this time, the Grand Island store is the only one to close in Nebraska. Though additional closures are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

There are currently no Nebraska JCPenney stores west of Kearney in our state.

The Plano, Texas-based retailer said it could take about 10 to 16 weeks to complete the closures.

It's all part of its bankruptcy plan.

JCPenney filed for Chapter 11 Protection last month but the company has been struggling to overcome debt and the effects of store closures during this pandemic.

As part of its bankruptcy reorganization, Penney said it planned to permanently close nearly a third of its 846 stores in the next two years. That would leave it with just over 600 locations.