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.
Ron Johnson
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 …
Attention JC Penney Shoppers, Look Out for the Return of ‘Sales Galore’
After months of abysmal sales tallies, the Ron Johnson era is over at JC Penney. Now that Johnson’s “fair and square” no-coupons pricing policies have proved to be a failure, the department store will have to try something else …
The 5 Big Mistakes That Led to Ron Johnson’s Ouster at JC Penney
In the fall of 2011, Ron Johnson was appointed not just as CEO of JC Penney, but as the savior responsible for breathing new life into one of the dowdiest dinosaurs in American retail. Seventeen months—and many, many mistakes—later, he’s out of a job. What happened?
Can the Boutique ‘Store-Within-a-Store’ Concept Save Big Box Retailers from Extinction?
When successful, a store within the store will improve the appeal of both brands involved. That’s especially important for a retailer presumed to be on its deathbed.
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 …
JCPenney’s Not-So-Black Friday
For most retailers, the upcoming Black Friday will be bigger (more deals, longer hours) than ever before. But what does a store do on Black Friday if it’s promised to stop using the discounts and marketing and sales gimmicks that …
JCPenney: Forget Coupons and Black Friday Sales. How About a Free Photo Instead?
The reason why door buster deals, coupons, dramatic markdowns, and a short-lived sales are staples of the retail holiday scene is simple: They drive traffic into the stores. So how does a store attract customers when it’s sworn …
Unhappy Holidays? Lackluster Season Expected for Several Shopping Categories
Studies from Deloitte, the National Retail Federation, and Booz & Co. all predict modest retail sales increases for the holiday period, with rises generally up in the vicinity of 3% or 4%. Online and mobile sales are expected to …
JCPenney Would Be Doing Great If the Stores Were Less Like JCPenney
In a meeting with analysts this week, JCPenney CEO Ron Johnson—the retail superstar famous for making the Apple Store a monster success—proudly showed off a model of the JCPenney store of the future, featuring an assortment …
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 …
10 CEOs Trying to Do the Nearly-Impossible
It’s hard to generate much sympathy for people who are making tens of millions of dollars a year. But at least the CEOs we’ve listed here can justify their paychecks by having taken on seemingly impossible challenges.
