2 More Wisconsin Retailers Set To Close

BROOKFIELD, WI — Two major retailers with stores in Wisconsin are set to close for good as store owners across Wisconsin wait for the green light to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Pier 1 Imports announced they're looking to close all of their retail stores for good. On Tuesday, the company announced that it would stop retail operations "as soon as reasonably possible."

"This decision follows months of working to identify a buyer who would continue to operate our business going forward. Unfortunately, the challenging retail environment has been significantly compounded by the profound impact of COVID-19, hindering our ability to secure such a buyer and requiring us to wind down,” Robert Riesbeck, Pier 1’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer said in a statement.

At the start of the year, Pier One had 12 locations.

• Brookfield
• Eau Claire
• Fond du Lac
• Germantown
• Glendale
• Grafton
• Greenfield
• Janesville
• Kenosha
• La Crosse
• Madison
• Racine

The iconic retailer J.C. Penney Co. filed for bankruptcy as the coronavirus continues to take a toll on brick-and-mortar retailers. The department store chain will close permanently about 200 of its 850 stores, but it's unclear if Wisconsin stores would be included, according to a Reuters report.

Pier 1 says it will hold liquidation sales to sell the inventory it has left, and will also sell its website and intellectual property. JCPenney has yet to release a list of the stores it plans to close but said 192 stores would close this year and another 50 stores will close next year.

Here are JC Penney's Wisconsin locations:

• APPLETON
• ASHWAUBENON
• BROOKFIELD
• EAU CLAIRE
• GREENDALE
• LA CROSSE
• MADISON
• MENOMONEE FALLS

Additional Reporting By Shannon Antinori, Patch Staff