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JCPenney celebrates 50 years in Hermitage
HERMITAGE, PA.
From the road, one would be forgiven for assuming the Shenango Valley Mall in Hermitage is just another empty reminder of an era of retail before Amazon and the proliferation of Walmarts across the nation.
A short drive to the rear of the building, however – navigating through empty parking lots and past the faded outline of the word “Macy’s” over a now locked door – reveals dozens of cars parked outside a section of the mall that is still thriving thanks in large part to JCPenney.
This year is the Shenango Valley Mall JCPenney’s 50th anniversary at the location, and while much has changed for both the mall and the retail industry in that time, JCPenney has remained steadfast in the consciousness of the American consumer.
JCPenney’s history is rooted in the waning days of the American West, evolving from the Golden Rule general stores that dotted Colorado and eventually expanded across the Rocky Mountain states.
The stores took on the name “The J.C. Penney Company” in 1913, and have been in operation ever since.
When the location at the mall opened in January 1969, the store still carried some of same products it did during its days as a dry goods retailer – nuts, bolts, licenses for hunting and fishing, hardware and even guns.
Though those items may have left the shelves, Joyce Reefer, a sales associate who helped open the store, has been with the store since the beginning.
“It’s been a good company to work for, overall,” Reefer said. “I’ve enjoyed doing what I’ve been doing. That’s why I came back not long after I retired.”
Reefer isn’t the only longtime employee at the store. Sales associates Patti Chovan and Denise Hubicz have been with the store for 46 and 38 years, respectively.
The women recalled their experiences working in the store’s early days, back when they had to design and craft their own ads, and Friday night crowds would fill the aisles.
“It used to be a place to hang out,” Chovan said. “They’d leave the restaurant and then come up to the shopping side and walk through. You could even leave your kids unattended in those days.”
The restaurant Chovan referenced was the JCPenney Restaurant, which the women say was known for its Friday fish fries.
Today, the store is primarily known as a clothing and soft-goods retailer, and – until recently – carried appliances.
Sharon Loughner, the store’s general manager, said the JCPenney at the mall has always had strong performance, but has done better after the 2016 closures of the nearby Macy’s and Sears.
She said the consistency of the store’s offerings and its online presence has kept the business relevant in the age of online shopping.
“Our customers like our brands, and they know what to expect when they walk through the doors,” Loughner said. “We have a robust online service as well. Customers can order online and pick up their items at the store or have them shipped.”
In addition to the store’s offerings, what keeps customers coming back may be exactly what’s kept the sales associates at their jobs for well over two decades.
“The company’s a good company,” Chovan said. “It’s always a nice family atmosphere, and you know what you’re getting here.”