By Nita McCann

NATCHEZ—Rumors of Bookland’s closing have been greatly exaggerated — at least according to Renee Henderson, manager of the Natchez Mall store, and mall Manager Marie Lofton.

That’s despite a significant drop in store traffic after the J.C. Penney next door to Bookland closed in early May.

“I’m not going to lie. When J.C. Penney closed, it killed us,” Henderson said Tuesday. “But we’re still open, and I don’t know of any plans for us to close.”

The anchor store, located next to Bookland, was one of 30 that J.C. Penney closed last spring, citing underperforming sales. At that time, the Natchez store had 55 employees.

The Natchez J.C. Penney opened in 1954 in what is now Kimbrell Office Supply on Main Street. It moved to Natchez Mall in the 1980s.

Jewelry and accessories store Claire’s closed in August, followed by arcade Fun Tunnel, which closed in recent weeks.

“We don’t know what those vacant spaces will be used for yet,” Lofton said, adding that she has not heard any news about Bookland, a subsidiary of bookselling giant Books-A-Million.

Henderson said that to her knowledge, Bookland in Vicksburg is the closest location to Natchez to close its doors.

Calls to Books-A-Million’s corporate headquarters in Birmingham, Ala., were not returned prior to press time Tuesday.

Natchez Mall opened its doors in 1979.