US retail giant JC Penney will close about 40 stores this year and cut about 2,250 jobs to improve its profitability, it said on Thursday.

Most of the shops will close by April 4. The Texan company runs about 1,060 department stores. It also announced plans this time last year to close about 33 stores and cut about 2,000 jobs.

JC Penney reported a rise in sales for the Christmas season only two days ago.

All employees at closing stores are to be offered career training classes and some are eligible for redundancy payments.

JC Penney shares rose 4 cents (3p) to $7.93 (£5.25) in afternoon trading on Thursday.

Soft drinks firm Coca-Cola has also announced plans to cut up to 1,800 jobs in yet another attempt to save money.

The US transnational had previously announced a streamlining of its global operations in a bid to save $3 billion (£2bn) annually by 2019.

A spokeswoman confirmed that between 1,600 and 1,800 workers out of a workforce of 130,000 were being contacted.

“As part of our recently announced productivity initiatives, we are redesigning our operating model to streamline and simplify our structure and accelerate the growth of our global business,” she said.

The losses were to be seen mainly at its corporate headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as in Coca-Cola’s North American and international divisions.

Its global sales were down 2 per cent for the first nine of months of 2014.