After months of abysmal sales tallies, the Ron Johnson era is over at JC Penney. Now that Johnson’s “fair and square” …
Sales
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?
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.
Boost Your Business with an Alliance
As a small business, you don’t have an unlimited marketing and advertising budget, so you’re probably not reaching all the customers or markets you could. That’s where an alliance with a partner can help.
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 …
Polishing Your Elevator Pitch
Making your sales point quickly and effectively is a critical skill for any entrepreneur.
JCPenney: Simple Pricing Sure Can Be Complicated
When trying to simplify something, the first rule is: Don’t make it more confusing. And yet, while one of the main focuses of JCPenney’s radical retail overhaul is a simplification of pricing, shoppers seem more confused than …
Consumers Prefer to Get More Rather than Pay Less – Because They’re Bad at Math
Is it better to get more or pay less? If you think they’re basically the same, you’re like most consumers. And, like most consumers, you’re wrong.
More Troubles for JCPenney: Top Executive Departs Amid Sales Slump
Ron Johnson was brought in as JCPenney’s new CEO last year largely due to his experiences with two of the most phenomenal success stories in retail in recent history: Target and Apple Store. What does it mean that Johnson’s …
Can You Sue a Store for Having Too Many Sales?
There’s a good argument to be made that when a store’s merchandise is always on sale, it’s never really on sale. The retailer is just employing fake prices that no one ever pays. The prices exist only to make discounts seem …
Car Shoppers’ Decisions Most Influenced by … Person Trying to Sell Them Cars?
When figuring out which car to buy, consumers consult the advice of family and friends, as well as shopping guides from Consumer Reports and the like. But the info that’s most influential in the buying decision tends to come from an individual who has obvious self-interest in how that decision plays out.
