JCPenney Getting New Logo & Something Resembling Genius Bars

The revolution continues at JCPenney, better known as that store your mom used to drag you to for back-to-school clothes you didn’t want to wear. Last week the company announced it was doing away with many of its sales and going the everyday low price route. Now the retailer’s new CEO, former Apple exec Ron Johnson (which sounds like the name of someone in the witness protection program) has unveiled a new logo and plans to turn JCP into something more Apple-store-ish.

First off, there’s the new logo, which reminds in its simplicity and dullness of the PhotoShop 1.0 job Gap tried to roll out in 2010.

According to the company, this red, white and blue thing “combines the elements that have made jcpenney an enduring American brand, by evoking the nation’s flag and jcpenney’s commitment to treating customers Fair and Square. The square frame imagery will be evident throughout all of jcpenney’s marketing, to remind customers to frame the things they love.”

That’s exactly what we were thinking.

And then, in a chat with the Associated Press, JCP CEO RonJohn talked about how the company will begin introducing Town Squares:

Like the popular Apple Genius Bars that Johnson created so customers can get hands-on technical support, Town Square areas will offer services although the company has been tight-lipped about which ones. The rest of the store will be divided into 100 specialty shops.

He says he wants to make Penney’s “a place people love to come– just to come. Because they can get support before they’re ready to buy. They can get great support when they want to buy and they can come in after they buy. We’ll transform the buying experience not unlike what we did at Apple.”

We think the first thing the company should do is decide whether it’s JCpenney, JCPenney, JC Penney, J.C. Penney, Jcpenney, jcpenney, JCP, or jcp.

AP Interview: JC Penney CEO talks about the chain [MSN]
Jcpenney Gets All Patriotic With Its New Logo [AdFreak]

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