JC Penney has its old CEO, Mike Ullman, in charge of the company again. Abundant sales and coupons have returned, as have brands that disappeared for a spell. In many ways, the JC Penney of old is back. Whether this is a good thing for the company remains to be seen.
discounts
JC Penney Reintroduces Fake Prices (and Lots of Coupons Too, Of Course)
In early 2012, JC Penney promised the end of “fake prices”—ones that were inflated just so that shoppers could be tricked into thinking the inevitable discounts represented amazing deals. Well, it’s already time to welcome back …
JCPenney Brings Back Sales, but What’s the Deal with Those ‘Suggested’ Prices?
A year ago, JCPenney promised an end to “fake prices” and the usual retailer mind games played to make customers think they’re getting a deal. Now that the ambitious attempt to wean customers off endless discounting and markdowns …
Why Shoppers Just Can’t Resist Clearance Sales
It’s prime time for consumers to buy things they shouldn’t, even at 75% off.
Epic Retail Fail: Where Did the Target + Neiman Marcus Collection Go Wrong?
Too weird, too pretentious, too expensive, and, in the end, too out of step with what today’s arbiters of style deem cool. Those have been among the many critiques of Target’s multi-designer collaboration with luxury retailer Neiman Marcus — a partnership that was hyped to the hilt, and wound up as a major bust.
No Sale? Retailers Try to Avoid Deep Discounting Without Losing Shoppers
At some point in recent years, 50% off became the new normal, with shoppers growing increasingly accustomed to dramatic markdowns—and correspondingly unimpressed with a measly 10% off. Stores jacked up list prices so that the …
Labor Day Deals: Where to Find the Best Shopping Bargains
Even though Labor Day probably isn’t the best time of year for deals, plenty of retailers—online sellers especially—have launched major sales for the upcoming holiday weekend. But how can you tell which sales represent truly …
Will Customers Love or Hate ‘Personalized’ Grocery Prices?
The concept of “personalized” grocery store deals strikes some consumers as inherently unfair. How would you feel, after all, if you were charged more than the person in front of you at checkout for the same exact item? Few …
Huh? Labor Day Supposedly Has the Year’s Biggest Shopping Discounts?
The personalized shopping website Shop It To Me recently ranked the year’s best holiday weekends for bargain-hunting consumers. The top time for deals may come as a surprise: Labor Day. Wait, Labor Day? Really?
Baby Boomers Like Discounts – Just Not the ‘Senior Discount’
The senior members of the Baby Boom generation are turning 65 at a clip of roughly 10,000 per day. Even so, the generation famous for being at the center of the “youth culture” of the ’60s, doesn’t particularly like to think of …
Why Everyone Should Be Shopping Online—While in Actual Stores
“Showrooming,” the practice in which consumers check out merchandise in a physical store and then buy it at a cheaper price online, is the bane of brick-and-mortar retailers everywhere. It’s got to be extra insulting when …
Have Consumers Maxed Out on TV Purchases?
TV fatigue has appeared to have set in. No, not in terms of TV viewing, which even with the rise of cord cutting and increased use of the Internet for entertainment, seems to be as strong as ever. But in terms of new TV …
