JCPenney shopping is both good and sometimes not-so-good.  I’m a retail industry junkie.  I retail associated in high school and college.  I was an analyst for a national department store.  The retail industry can be very interesting.  Other retailers in this series are Walmart, Walmart Online and Sally Beauty.  Recall The Money Skinny™ mission is to save you time and money.  We’ll review the good and not-so-good of JCPenney shopping.  So you can decide if that’s where to spend your money.

JCPenney Shopping for Brands

JCPenney shopping falls into the middle of retailers.  It’s okay and reasonable.  Prices, physical stores and customer experience.  Free same-day pick-up of online orders saves time.   Brand selection is a reason to visit stores.  Joe Fresh is popular.  The Sephora partnership increases customer traffic.  Buying makeup gifts while replacing a set of bath towels?  That’s a win-win.  Appreciate the selection and two-birds-one-stone, JCPenney.

The Sephora Relationship

The Sephora partnership is great for customers.  Except when it’s not.  It has an “it’s complicated” status.  Employees seem top notch.  However, free-standing Sephora stores treat JCPenney Sephora colleagues like second cousins twice-removed.  Sale prices at the JCPenney Sephora stores are sometimes not honored at free-standing stores.

JCPenney Shopping Experience

I purchased two eyeshadow palettes on sale for my daughters on the JCPenney website.  Notified two weeks later that they were out of stock.  Order cancelled.  Sale over.  A helpful employee at a JCPenney Sephora store sold me the only palette available.  At the sale price.  A Sephora store at that mall wouldn’t honor the sale price for the second palette.  Don’t want my money?  But maybe I’d also buy an eau de toilette or something.  Pricing and sales seem to cross from Sephora into JCPenney Sephora.  Not the reverse.  Doesn’t seem partnerish.  Good customer focus but cancelling orders isn’t cool, JCPenney.

JCPenney vs Sephora Websites

The different websites are confusing.  The JCPenney website lists Sephora to the right.  Wedged between Salon and Clearance.  Sephora is a separate website.  It has a “Hi Beautiful” salutation.  JCPenney management wants to keep eyeballs on their store website.  Makes for a clunky customer experience.

Management Misfires

Upgrading a century-old company is not easy.  In 2011, the company hired a CEO to implement his instinctual vision.  Cough-cough.  A colossal disaster.  It’s a problem when the CEO won’t relocate to headquarters.  Unwillingness to relocate should be a disqualifier.  Maybe a Too-Big-To-Care North Carolina bank has a CEO that lives elsewhere.  But retail requires non-stop attention.  A fully present CEO.  Furthermore, a ridiculous CEO golden parachute after seventeen months on the job.  C’mon now.  Make better choices, JCPenney.

JCPenney Shopping Pricing Problems

The company is caught in a pricing lawsuit.  The issue is merchandise never sold at regular price.  Products are always on sale for a lower amount.  In summary, it’s the mark-up to mark-down trick.  JCPenney is not the biggest offender.  Sales, coupons, exclusions and friends-and-enemy days make a confusing stew.  The jury is out on pricing, JCPenney.

• JCPenney shopping falls into the middle of retailers.  Everything is okay and reasonable.
• Brands are a reason to visit stores.
• The Sephora partnership is a plus.