Waterford ― JCPenney, the last remaining anchor store at Crystal Mall ― and one of the 40-year-old mall’s original tenants ― will close by May 25, the chain’s media relations department confirmed Tuesday in an email.

“The decision to close a store is never an easy one,” the email stated. “We are grateful to our dedicated associates and the loyal customers who have shopped at our Waterford location. We continue to work to make every dollar count for America's diverse, working families and welcome them to shop at our other JCPenney stores in the area and at JCPenney.com.”

The mall outlet’s merchandise is being discounted at up to 50%.

JCPenney, one of the few national brands still operating at Crystal Mall, had been the only store left in an anchor position at the mall since a first-floor Christmas Tree Shops outlet closed last year. That store shared an anchor position with Bed, Bath & Beyond, which was on the second floor.

Bed, Bath & Beyond closed its Crystal Mall store in late 2022 and declared bankruptcy in early 2023.

Crystal Mall’s other anchor stores, Macy’s and Sears, closed in 2021 and 2018, respectively.

JCPenney, in existence for more than a century, filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors in 2020 in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and since then has been restructuring under new ownership. It has hundreds of stores around the country, including five in Connecticut besides Crystal Mall and one in Westerly.

The other Connecticut stores are in Danbury, Farmington, Manchester, Trumbull and Waterbury.

When Crystal Mall opened in 1984, its original anchors were Filene’s, Jordan Marsh, JCPenney and Sears.

b.hallenbeck@theday.com