JCPenney is looking slightly less doomed than previously anticipated. This week, the department store chain announced its holiday season sales results, which were slightly up over the same period last year. There’s bad news, too, though: about 4% of the company’s stores will close this spring, a total of 40 stores in 19 states, with a total of about 2,250 jobs. [More]
JCPenney
Quiz Results: Most People Confused How To Write Names Of Walmart, Popeyes, Lowe’s
By 11.11.14
Last week, we quizzed readers on the correct way to write the names of several retail businesses that abuse or play with punctuation. An awful lot of you gave it a shot and some of you did very well, but the results show that there is a lot of confusion out there for some of the country’s biggest retail brands. [More]
JCPenney Gives CEO Spot To Former Home Depot Exec
By 10.13.14
Ever since JCPenney gave Ron “No More Sales, Ever!” Johnson the boot from the company’s top spot in 2013 after 18 unsuccessful months spent trying to turn things around, it’s been trying to find just the right executive to fill that tough role. It seems that hunt is over now, as an executive from Home Depot has been named JCPenney’s new Chief Executive Officer. [More]
JCPenney Will Make You The Most Fashionable Family In 1986
By 10.8.14
The winter holidays are coming up, with family gatherings and parties that you don’t want to attend, but have to look nice for anyway. That means it’s time to go shopping for red sport coats and bow-bedecked blouses, to keep your family looking sharp! Because it’s always 1986 in my imagination, let’s go to…JCPenney. [More]
JCPenney Learns How To Run Sales Again, Not Sure How Much 50% Off Is
By 7.29.14
Regular readers of our site are familiar with Target Math: that’s when a retailer sells an item in bulk, but it somehow ends up costing more to buy a larger quantity than a smaller one. Maybe it’s time to invent a new type of math: JCPenney math, where items on sale are even more on sale than they appear. [More]
Home Shopping Network CEO Says No Thanks To Job At JCPenney
By 7.14.14
Not so many years ago, the idea of an executive choosing to stick with Home Shopping Network over one of the nation’s most well-known retailers would have seemed like madness. But with the two businesses headed in very different directions, it’s not really a surprise that HSN CEO Mindy Grossman has, like much of America, decided to stay home rather than go to JCPenney. [More]
Judge: JCPenney Interfered With Macy’s Martha Stewart Contract
By 6.16.14
If it feels like it’s been a while since you’ve heard about the brawl between JCPenney and Macy’s over golden girl Martha Stewart and her branded products, well, that’s because it has been: Six months after the two sides settled on terms that would allow both to sell Stewart stuff, a judge has ruled that JCPenney interfered in Macy’s contract with the homemaking maven when it came up with its own collection of home goods tied to her name. [More]
More Mystical Secrets Of Retail Price Codes
By 6.6.14
Last fall, we posted a handy cheat sheet to price tag codes that can tell you whether an item is on its first or last markdown, or even whether it’s on clearance or just plain on sale. Want to learn some more codes? Of course you do! [More]
Who Do Sears And JCPenney Closures Really Hurt? Malls
By 5.13.14
Back in 1959, Sears started the Homart Development Company. What did Homart develop? Malls! It built and ran malls across the country, malls that were home to Sears stores. Today, Sears is no longer in the mall business, and in many towns, Sears has left the mall as well. That’s terrible news for other mall tenants and for the mall business as a whole. [More]
JCPenney Worker Claims He Was Fired For Telling Truth About Fake Sales
By 3.20.14
Bargain-hunters love the thrill of seeing huge discounts fall off their total at the cash register, but this joy doesn’t necessarily reflect the truth. If a retailer never intended for anyone to pay the original sticker price, was it ever an original price at all? [More]
Have Fun Breaking Down This Year’s Worst Company In America Bracket
March 18, 2014
The above bracket will be updated at the end of each day of WCIA competition to reflect that day’s results.
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After going through all of your nominations, then having y’all rank the contenders and eliminate the chaff from the wheat, we’re proud to present the first round match-ups for this year’s Worst Company in America tournament! [More]
Here Are Your Worst Company Contenders For 2014 — Help Us Seed The Brackets!
March 17, 2014
After sorting through a mountain of nomination e-mails, we’ve whittled down the field of competitors for this year’s Worst Company In America tournament to 40 bad businesses. Here’s your chance to have your say on how these players will square off in the bracket, and which bubble teams will get left out in the cold. [More]
Here’s The List Of JCPenney Stores To Be Closed
By 1.16.14
Yesterday afternoon, JCPenney announced it would be laying off around 2,500 employees and shuttering 33 underperforming stores around the country. Want to know if your local JCP made the cut? [More]
JCPenney Actually Pleased About Something, Won’t Say Why
By 1.8.14
Well well well! Looks like somebody is riding high these days. And shocker of all shockers, it’s JCPenney surfing that wave of sunshiney happy feelings. The struggling retailer said it’s “pleased” with its holiday performance, but didn’t give any specifics about those sales. It’s seeing “continued progress,” but again, that’s about all it’s coughing up. You’re so coy, JCP. [via the Wall Street Journal] [More]
Disorganization, Confusion, And Stained Carpets In The Ruins Of Ron Johnson’s JCPenney
By 11.13.13
Equities strategist Brian Sozzi has developed a very specific sideline: taking blog readers on tours of sad, pitiful, dilapidated stores belonging to iconic 20th century retailers. This isn’t just a hobby, but is related to his work. Namely, telling people, “for gosh sakes, don’t buy Sears Holdings stock!” Now, his Retail Despair Tour is making a stop at JC Penney. [More]
JCPenney Joins Macy’s In Opening At 8 P.M. On Thanksgiving Day
By 10.18.13
Birds of a feather flock together, especially when there are some particularly tasty crumbs to be had. In thise case JCPenney is joining Macy’s in opening at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, the better to gobble up whichever tasty customers are tempted to start shopping as early as possible. [More]
Does This JCPenney Ad Promote Bullying Or Just Reality?
By 8.14.13
After complaints from parents, JCPenney has pulled a controversial commercial from television networks. The back-to-school spot includes a section that lightheartedly makes fun of a very real issue: kids being bullied and/or excluded because they’re not wearing the right clothes. [More]
JCPenney & Macy’s Are Close To The Final Word On Their Martha Stewart Rivalry
By 8.1.13
The playground fight between Macy’s and JCPenney over who gets to be best friends with Martha Stewart could finally be close to over. After months of the two companies bickering over whether or not JCPenney can sell certain home goods with the Martha Stewart name on them, a judge might issue a decision today. [More]
