HAMILTON (Atlantic) — At least one JC Penney store in New Jersey will be among 24 of its stores the chain closes around the country.

The retailer has confirmed the store at the Hamilton Mall in the Mays Landing section of this township will close on July 5.

The closure will leave Macy's as the sole anchor store at the Hamilton Mall.

"This decision is the result of an ongoing review of our store portfolio, which includes assessing locations that may not meet our required financial targets or represent an opportunity to capitalize on a beneficial real estate asset. It’s never easy taking actions that directly impact our valued associates and customers, however we feel this is a necessary business decision," spokesman Carter English said in an email.

The chain announced on Thursday it will close 18 department stores, three of which were already announced in January, and nine home and furniture stores. Sales were down in the fourth quarter which is normally the strongest for retailers because of Christmas holiday shopping. A full list of stores to close has not yet been released.

The closing of the store will leave it with 11 locations in New Jersey. Rio Grande closed in 2017 and at the Cumberland Mall store was shut in 2014.

Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Gymboree, Sears and KMart have closed stores in New Jersey in the past year. Toys R Us and Payless ShoeSource closed all their stores.

English said eligible JC Penney associates who do not transfer to another location will receive separation benefits. All associates will be offered the chance to participate in a three hour on-site career training class, at no cost, which offers tips on resume writing, answering interview questions and other job search tips.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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