Retail Giants: JCPenney vs. Target
Kelly Greenwood
October 2, 2011
Columbia College JCPenney: History
In business since April 1902, when James Cash Penney opened “The Golden Rule, a dry good and clothing store in Kemmerer, Wyoming. Although the name of the store was changed to JCPenney, in 1907, the company’s “Golden Rule” philosophy (do unto others as you would have them do unto you) remains unchanged. In 1927, JCPenney was listed on the NY Stock Exchange. Currently, JCPenney operates 1,108 department stores thoughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, providing 112 million square feet of selling space. JCPenney offers private, exclusive and national brands. Its private brands are “developed, designed and sourced in-house, generating nearly 50 percent of the Company’s annual revenue.” (JCPenney, 2011) JCPenney has partnered with Sephora, Call It Spring™, MNG by Mango® and Modern Bride® to create a boutique style shopping experience within the JCPenney store. JCPenney “sells family apparel and footwear, accessories, fine and fashion jewelry, beauty products and home furnishings. It also provides various services, such as styling salon, optical, portrait photography, and custom decorating.” (Yahoo Finance, 2011) It hosts one of the largest apparel and home furnishings e-commerce sites, posting revenues in excess of $1.5 billion in 2010. JCPenney posted approximately $17.8 billion in total revenues in 2010. “JCPenney has a balance of both mall-based and off-mall stores. Productivity of the newer off-mall stores is generally above chain average, based in part on a more efficient store layout (i.e., about 80 percent net to gross vs. 70 percent chain-wide.) Approximately 14 percent of the store base is less than five years old.” (JCPenney, 2011) JCPenney started its “JCPCares” program in 2001, and after 10 years is the “leading corporate advocate for the movement to