As part of its new retail strategy, JCPenney has announced plans to transform its department stores into a collection of brand “shops,” the first of which are debuting this month for the back-to-school season.
The transformation, which will see JCPenney stores divided into 80-100 brand shops over the next four years, began this week with the unveiling of three shops–Levi’s, i jeans by Buffalo and The Original Arizona Jean Co–in close to 700 stores nationwide.
"The back-to-school season presents the perfect opportunity to…unveil our new shops, giving customers a first glimpse of what will soon be an entirely new retail experience," says Ron Johnson, chief executive officer, JCPenney. "We know how important it is for kids to make a great first impression and with low prices every day, JCPenney is making it easier for parents to shop without having to wait for a sale."
The new Levi’s shop, called the Levi’s Denim Bar, let’s customers pull up a stool and work with a specialist to choose from a curated selection of Levi’s jeans.
The second wave of shops will be opened Sept. 1 for Liz Claiborne, IZOD and jcp–a new in-house brand dedicated to high-quality basics.
