The Journal News

J.C. Penney on Friday announced it will be closing its store at the Palisades Center in West Nyack.

The store is among 138 department stores the chain plans to close as part of a previously announced plan to shrink its footprint as it grapples with industry challenges.

The closings will save $200 million a year, the company said.

Most stores will begin liquidation sales April 17 and close in June.

The Rockland County store is one of three in New York slated for closure, the others are in Massapequa and Dunkirk.

The company had estimated that it would close 130 to 140 locations.

RELATED: See the full JC Penney store closure list

The retailer said Friday that the closures would displace 5,000 workers. Some will receive transfer opportunities and some will not.

Penney will continue to operate nearly 900 stores.

"It became apparent to us that our footprint was too large," Penney CEO Marvin Ellison told investors in February, and the closures will "allow us to raise the overall brand standard of J.C. Penney" and invest in remaining stores.

The move followed similar store-closure announcements by Macy's and Sears.

With reports from Nathan Bomey of USA TODAY.