J.C. Penney to close store in Inlet Square Mall

The J.C. Penney store at Inlet Square Mall will close in March, the second major retailer to leave the Murrells Inlet mall in the past year.

J.C. Penney will close on or about March 6, J.C. Penney spokesman Joey Thomas said. J.C. Penney still will have two other locations along the Grand Strand, at Coastal Grand mall and Myrtle Beach Mall, and there are no plans to close those, he said.

“We continually evaluate our store portfolio to determine whether there’s a need to close or relocate underperforming stores,” Thomas said in an email. “Reviews such as these are essential in meeting our long-term goals for future company growth. While it’s never an easy decision to close stores, especially due to the impact on our valued associates and customers, we feel it is a necessary business decision.”

It’s the second blow for Inlet Square Mall in the past year. Kmart, another major mall tenant, closed in April.

But work continues on a new addition to the mall, a Planet Fitness that plans to open a 22,000-square-foot gym in the spring.

The J.C. Penney store closure will affect about 65 workers, who will be offered career training classes, jobs at nearby J.C. Penney stores or separation benefits, Thomas said.

This story was originally published January 7, 2015 at 1:29 PM with the headline "J.C. Penney to close store in Inlet Square Mall."