We went inside a JCPenney and saw why the company is struggling

JCPenney is closing 138 stores over the next couple of months because of slowing sales. The stores represent about 14% of the company's locations but account for just 5% of its sales. About 5,000 employees will lose their jobs as a result of the closures. We visited a JCPenney in New York City to see why the company is struggling. 

When asked for comment JCPenney spokesperson Joey Thomas responded with the following: 

Your visit corresponded with a time of less than average staffing during and after winter storm Stella. Many of our associates commute from other areas of the city, so, as you can imagine, travel to work has been challenging for many this week. Additionally, the areas of the store pictured in the images you passed along are clearance sections, which are our most heavily shopped areas of the store ... General manager, Joe Cardamone, and his entire team of associates are well-regarded for maintaining an outstanding store environment, and the images you provided are not representative of the standards they’re known to maintain.