J.C. Penney, Macy's Close Westfield Culver City

J. C. Penney Company, Inc. followed Macy's by one day in closing all stores nationwide today in response to the evolving global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

"With the effects of the outbreak being felt more each day, our primary concern and area of focus is and has been on the health and safety of our associates, our customers, and our communities," said Jill Soltau, chief executive officer of JCPenney. "We know this is a critical, unprecedented time and our thoughts are with those who have been impacted."

The J.C Penney stores and business offices are scheduled to reopen April 2.

Macy's, Inc. also announced that it will temporarily close all stores by end of business on Tuesday, March 17 through March 31. This includes all Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Bluemercury, Macy's Backstage, Bloomingdales the Outlet and Market by Macy's stores. Macy's, Inc. will provide benefits and compensation to its impacted workforce.

"The health and safety of our customers, colleagues and communities is our utmost priority. As a result of the recent COVID-19 developments, we have decided to temporarily close our stores. We will work with government and health officials to assess when we will reopen our stores and safely bring our colleagues back to work," said Jeff Gennette, chairman and chief executive officer of Macy's, Inc. "During this closure, we will continue to serve our customers through our e-commerce sites."

All three Macy's, Inc. brands – Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury – will continue to serve customers through macys.com, bloomingdales.com and bluemercury.com and through its mobile apps while J.C. Penney customers can continue to shop online at the Company's flagship store, jcp.com, or through its app