Rumors Say JC Penney Will Close Battle Creek Store

Battle Creek's Lakeview Square Mall could be coping with the closing of its second anchor store this year - can it survive?

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It might be another devastating blow for Battle Creek as JC Penney's plans to "optimize retail operations" may mean the closing of its Lakeview Square Mall store. Nothing is official yet, but I hear from a friend that a friend's friend who works there says Penney's employees were told on March 14 that the location was going to be shut down.

You may remember that It was announced in January that Macy's was emptying its Battle Creek store; this would mean the loss of two anchor stores at Lakeview Square Mall in 2017. What's next for the retail space? A Facebook discussion has some concerns:

Lakeview must reinvent itself. I loved that mall when it came into being. It can re invent itself, but they better do it quick....Sears/Kmart will be next.
Won't be long till the mall is another empty building in Battle Creek,....
My friend has worked at the Salon for over 30 years. She was told today [3/14/17] the store and the salon were closing..
So sad!!! I feel bad for the employees and the process that they will have to go through.
Online shopping has shifted foot traffic to online. Big Box retailers just aren't what they used to be. I work in E-commerce, that is even a competitive market.
I was shocked at how the mall has changed in the 28 years since I left. That place used to be buzzing at Christmas time! I worked at Hudson's in summers and at Xmas when I was in college.
Aladins Castle... Bring. It. BACK. !!!
We need a sign to put up at our Interstate exits that says "Keep Driving, Battle Creek Is Out Of Business."

The closing of the Battle Creek JC Penney's store has not been officially confirmed as of this writing.

Next Up: 5 Battle Creek Restaurants that Closed in 2016 We’ll Miss the Most