JC Penney store closing in downtown Petoskey after 94 years
October 17, 2020
PETOSKEY, Mich. — A J.C. Penney store will close Sunday after nearly a century in downtown Petoskey. A store in Traverse City will be the only Penney location in the northern Lower Peninsula after similar closings in Alpena and Cadillac. The Petoskey store might be turned into new retail or restaurant space with apartments on the upper level. The last manager, Doyle Miller, says customers have been visiting to say goodbye to staff. Ben Blaho retired as a Penney senior merchandising manager in 1997. Blaho recalled a series of promotions to draw shoppers. He says the store rented a theater so children could watch movies and their mothers could shop.