J.C. Penney is closing 240 stores as part of its bankruptcy plan

The popular narrative is JC Penney, among some others, sustained a great amount of damage from the pandemic ultimately resulting in their bankruptcy. The words "coronavirus" and "pandemic" are used 2 and 4 times, respectively, within the 10-paragraph article. While articles and coverage don't say it forthright, several attribute bankruptcies such as this one to the pandemic by association. To clear up any selective amnesia about what a dumpster fire our dear poster child of brick-and-mortar retail was before the pandemic (shocking, right?), here are a few articles on the very topic published between February 2017 and March 1, 2020:

https://money.cnn.com/2017/02/24/news/companies/jcpenney-clo...

https://money.cnn.com/2017/08/11/investing/jcpenney-loss-ret...

https://money.cnn.com/2018/05/17/investing/jcpenney-earnings...

https://money.cnn.com/2018/08/16/news/companies/jcpenney-ear...

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/26/investing/jcpenney-stock/inde...

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/06/investing/jcpenney-appliances...

The analogy of "the straw that broke the camel's back" is not lost on me, however I am not a fan of the fear porn pushed on readers by simple association for a company making the news for its death throes for ~10-15 years now.