After 32 years JCPenney says goodbye to Westminster shoppers
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The JCPenney store at Westminster Mall will close this November, ending a 32-year presence in one of Orange County’s once-prominent retail centers. The company confirmed the last day of operations will be November 16, with full closure by November 21.
The news came via a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filing with the state of California. Seventy-six employees will be affected, across sales, customer service and store leadership. Some may be offered transfers to nearby locations, though no specifics have been confirmed.
This leaves Target as the mall’s only remaining anchor tenant. A sharp drop in taxable sales and the earlier exit of Macy’s have reshaped the mall into a site in decline. Foot traffic has thinned, and several national retailers have pulled out or downsized.
Retail strategy and broader shifts
The Westminster closure is part of a national realignment by JCPenney, which has been reducing its store count since emerging from bankruptcy in 2020. Now part of Catalyst Brands, a holding group formed by SPARC Group and Simon Property Group, JCPenney is focusing on fewer locations with better performance and digital integration.
The closure reflects wider trends across American retail. Traditional department stores have struggled against the growth of e-commerce, shifting consumer habits and leaner competitors. Mall traffic remains well below pre-pandemic levels, and analysts expect thousands more physical stores to close over the next five years.
JCPenney is leaning into a more focused strategy, investing in select locations with modernized layouts and greater alignment between in-store and online inventory. Sites like Westminster that no longer match that model are being wound down.
Local impact and mall redevelopment
The Westminster store opened in 1993 and has long served as a family shopping stop for school clothes, gifts and home goods. Its closing signs and 20 percent clearance sales have drawn nostalgic shoppers, but footfall has not reversed long-term trends.
Westminster Mall itself is facing a larger transformation. In 2023, city officials approved the Bolsa Pacific plan, which envisions a mixed-use community on the site. It includes housing, office space, retail and public parks. While demolition and construction timelines are unclear, the exit of major anchors may accelerate the process.
The mall’s owners have not publicly addressed how the JCPenney closure will affect redevelopment plans, but the vacancy adds pressure to rethink leasing and land use strategy.
Effects on retail jobs
Like many department store closures, the shutdown will ripple across the local workforce. Retail jobs have become less stable, particularly in mall-based formats. Though required to give at least 60 days’ notice under California law, JCPenney has not shared whether severance or extended benefits will be offered.
Some affected employees may transition to other locations, but others may need to shift industries. Local workforce programs in Orange County offer reskilling and job placement services, though many part-time and hourly workers face barriers in accessing these resources.
Nationally, the trend is moving away from department store employment and toward logistics, fulfillment and hospitality roles—sectors that require different skills and often offer less schedule flexibility.
A familiar story in modern retail
JCPenney’s Westminster exit is part of a steady unraveling of the traditional mall anchor model. These large department stores once drew consistent customer traffic and supported neighboring tenants. Their decline has challenged the business models of many mid-size malls.
Across the country, malls are being reimagined as lifestyle centers, mixed-use spaces or distribution hubs. Those that remain heavily reliant on retail alone are facing rising vacancies and falling returns.
For shoppers in Westminster, the JCPenney closure is more than a business decision. It marks the end of a place that, for years, was woven into everyday routines. What replaces it may look very different from what came before.
Sources
USA Today