JCPenney will shutter its Annapolis Mall location in May, part of “a handful of JCPenney stores to close by mid-year,” according to the company.

The Annapolis Mall location will close its doors May 16, a company spokesperson said in an email.

Its closing leaves 10 JCPenney stores in Maryland. About 74 employees will be affected by the closure, according to a notice filed with the Maryland Department of Labor.

“The decision to close a store is never an easy one, but isolated closures do happen from time to time due to expiring lease agreements, market changes or other factors” a JCPenney spokesperson said in an email.

Representatives for the Annapolis Mall did not respond to request for comment. The mall is a regional shopping center with over 200 retailers, including Apple and Lululemon, and an AMC Theatre. DICK’s House of Sports and Dave & Buster’s are slated to open by the end of 2025.

JCPenney expects to close eight locations across the country this year, including the location in Annapolis, according to USA TODAY.

The closures follow JCPenney’s announcement of its merger with SPARC Group, a company behind brands like Aeropostale and Nautica, to become Catalyst Brands. The spokesperson said the Annapolis store closure was unrelated to the merger.

In May 2020, Texas-based JCPenney filed for bankruptcy. Later that year, the company was sold to Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management, granting access to more than $1 billion to rebuild.

JCPenney has been around for over 120 years and is one of largest apparel, beauty, home and jewelry retailers in the country, with over 650 locations. JCPenney joins several other retailers, including discount company Big Lots, fabrics and crafts store Joann and Party City in closing locations in recent months.