J.C. Penney to close outlet, add call-center jobs | The Columbus Dispatch

The last time I was there, I ended up in the hospital in surgery with an appendicitis! Haven't been back since!

I heard on the news this morning they were NOT closing the outlet store and adding 150 jobs to the call center. Which is correct????

Why wrote:

I heard on the news this morning they were NOT closing the outlet store and adding 150 jobs to the call center. Which is correct????

They ARE closing.

I heard that MarketPlace Of The Americas really hurt the business for this JC Penny outlet because everyone started going there instead of to Penny's. The few times I've been to the MarketPlace I've gotten great deals and great selections, but at Penny's they still have super great deals, but their selections are so limited with 500 items of one size and none at any other sizes, lol.

We'll miss that store as I've gone there since I was a kid, but to all good things must change and we slowly stopped going after discovering the new MarketPlace, which also has lots of family entertainment, so that's where we spend our weekends now during these cold winter months.

Yep, all good things must come to an end... sigh... But now at least now we have the new marketplace flea market which is practically right next door to Pennys. I just wish it was open more than just Fri, Sat and Sun.

What about the people that don't have call center experience like my husband who works in the warehouse? Will he be offered a position elsewhere. He is not the call center type. He has been with the Outlet for 15 years and now is in his 40's and we will likely lose our house if he doesnt find work somewhere else and fast. This will mean 10 people will be homeless, another house will be up for sale and the unemployment rate in Ohio will increase from the 10% as it stands now in Ohio. So don't tell me it is good news that there will be 150 call center jobs opening up because there will be that amount of jobs lost.

WTVN was very clear in this morning's news that the outlet would NOT be closing. No wonder nobody believes the media anymore.

Stephanie wrote:

What about the people that don't have call center experience like my husband who works in the warehouse? Will he be offered a position elsewhere. He is not the call center type. He has been with the Outlet for 15 years and now is in his 40's and we will likely lose our house if he doesnt find work somewhere else and fast. This will mean 10 people will be homeless, another house will be up for sale and the unemployment rate in Ohio will increase from the 10% as it stands now in Ohio. So don't tell me it is good news that there will be 150 call center jobs opening up because there will be that amount of jobs lost.

WTVN is reporting that the outlet store is not closing:

http://www.610wtvn.com/cc-common/news/section...

Which is it wrote:

<quoted text>
WTVN is reporting that the outlet store is not closing:
http://www.610wtvn.com/cc-common/news/section...

They are closing the print catalog business and the outlet stores throughout the company. While the JCPenney folks indicated they might try to sell some of the outlet stores the point is that the outlet stores -- including the one in Columbus -- will close.

I think this place should be converted to a Salvation Army store instead.

Or it might make a good Freecycle store.

Bob Henry wrote:

I heard that MarketPlace Of The Americas really hurt the business for this JC Penny outlet because everyone started going there instead of to Penny's. The few times I've been to the MarketPlace I've gotten great deals and great selections, but at Penny's they still have super great deals, but their selections are so limited with 500 items of one size and none at any other sizes, lol.
We'll miss that store as I've gone there since I was a kid, but to all good things must change and we slowly stopped going after discovering the new MarketPlace, which also has lots of family entertainment, so that's where we spend our weekends now during these cold winter months.

Where is the Marketplace of America located?

This is the trird article on this story.
Each one is different.
One says it is closing and the next said it wasn't closing.
Now they say it is closing.
I JUST CALLED THE OUTLET STORE AGAIN!
at 10:20 a.m. on the 25th of January.
THE LADY SAID IT IS STILL AN OPITION ON IF IT IS CLOSING OR NOT.
Can we get a honest answer?
who is lying and who is not?

tferan@dispatch.com

Email the writer of this article and ask him where he got this info - WTVN says the exact opposite!

too bad wrote:

<quoted text>
Where is the Marketplace of America located?

It is the old Brice Outlet Mall. Across from Anderson's and Lindsay Acura. There is a HUGE sign for it that lights up the night.

I think Penny's is crazy to close it. They do a great business. The Market Place is no big deal.

Tom wrote:

<quoted text>
It is the old Brice Outlet Mall. Across from Anderson's and Lindsay Acura. There is a HUGE sign for it that lights up the night.

Thank you I thought that was it after I asked.
Thanks for your response.
I know where you mean, but I haven't been there since they closed the mall.
Due ti health problems.

Call center jobs !!!

The most depressing jobs on earth. 50% are in India. The other 50% are right here in Columbus.

Stephanie wrote:

What about the people that don't have call center experience like my husband who works in the warehouse? Will he be offered a position elsewhere. He is not the call center type. He has been with the Outlet for 15 years and now is in his 40's and we will likely lose our house if he doesnt find work somewhere else and fast. This will mean 10 people will be homeless, another house will be up for sale and the unemployment rate in Ohio will increase from the 10% as it stands now in Ohio. So don't tell me it is good news that there will be 150 call center jobs opening up because there will be that amount of jobs lost.

Stop making house payments.
Hoard your money instead.
Find a $400/mo apt to ride out the storm OR consider moving to where the jobs are.

Wall Street and WAshington walk away from their obligations all the time and so should you.

Muscle wrote:

I think Penny's is crazy to close it. They do a great business. The Market Place is no big deal.

Unless you're a booming and super profitable retailer like QVC or HSN, running your own outlet stores is not very profitable. Also, with made to order internet sales AND the reality that retailers are under-ordering merchandise and/or more accurately forecasting future sales ... the range of products that you can fill an outlet store with is dwindling.

For dying retailers like Penneys, the smartest thing to do is wholesale your excess stock to stores like Value City, Big Lots, etc.

too bad wrote:

This is the trird article on this story.
Each one is different.
One says it is closing and the next said it wasn't closing.
Now they say it is closing.
I JUST CALLED THE OUTLET STORE AGAIN!
at 10:20 a.m. on the 25th of January.
THE LADY SAID IT IS STILL AN OPITION ON IF IT IS CLOSING OR NOT.
Can we get a honest answer?
who is lying and who is not?

The outlet is most likely closing.

* Media outlets get it wrong all the time. They have nothing to lose by getting it wrong because they can just do more "filler news" stories about it and make more ad revenue as a result.

* Outlet store employees are most likely in disbelief and anguish, so wishful thinking is probably kicking in at this point giving rise to "maybe we'll stay open!" type rumors.

I don't think anybody's lying. If you were a professionally employed reporter you'd probably know who to call for the most reliable information.