The JCPenney location at Beaver Valley Mall in Monaca, Pennsylvania is once again headed toward closure, sparking déjà vu among local shoppers.
This comes just a few years after the same store was nearly shut down during JCPenney’s 2020 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Back then, the beloved department store brand was battling plummeting sales and over $4 billion in debt, ultimately closing more than 200 underperforming locations. Although the Monaca store began its shutdown process, it was miraculously saved at the eleventh hour.
But lightning might not strike twice. JCPenney has confirmed that due to unresolved lease issues, the Monaca location will shutter for good in fall 2025. “Regretfully, we are unable to continue our current lease terms for this store location and have been unable to find another suitable location in the market,” a spokesperson said. Despite the gloomy news, liquidation sales have already kicked off with discounts starting at 20%, as confirmed in a Facebook post from Beaver Valley Mall.
While the Monaca store winds down, the good news is JCPenney still operates six stores throughout the western part of Pennsylvania. Customers can still shop in Indiana, Monroeville, Robinson, Ross Park, Westmoreland, and Uniontown. Still, fans of the Monaca store are hoping history repeats itself and that the location is saved once again.
Nationwide, JCPenney has already closed at least seven stores in 2025, including locations in San Bruno, CA; Denver, CO; Pocatello, ID; Topeka, KS; Newington, NH; Asheville, NC; and Charleston, WV. Despite the closures, the company insists this isn’t the beginning of mass shutdowns. “While we do not have plans to significantly reduce our store count, isolated closures in specific markets do happen from time to time due to expiring lease agreements, market changes, or other factors,” JCPenney said in a statement.
This isn’t the only department store shaking things up. Macy’s is also adjusting its retail footprint. The company has already closed 66 locations this year under its “Bold New Chapter” strategy, with a target of 150 total closures by 2026. However, it’s not all cutbacks – Macy’s is also launching smaller-format stores and remodeling key locations. Plus, shoppers can expect 15 new Bloomingdale’s and 30 new Bluemercury stores over the next three years.
Retail remains a game of survival, adaptation, and sometimes a bit of luck. Whether the Monaca JCPenney can pull off another last-minute save remains to be seen – but for now, the clock is ticking, and the sales are live.
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