They lost my wife a few years back when they started the stupid "no more coupons or sales" thing. Then they started doing clearance process, and seasonal prices, and it got confusing. This CEO is an idiot.

I agree the internet did bite into sales, but it is right on about the service. For years these stores decided on no service, or morons doing the service. I also hate going and dealing with looking for someone for help, or one checkout open on a weekend, or crappy attitudes from employees. Amazon all the way, if I'm going to get crap service, I may as well just order online

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by jcat:
Another victim of Amazon.

Perhaps, but my impression is that most people still buy their clothes in stores, and it seems that whenever I'm in a department store, I'm shopping for clothes. I can't remember the last time I was in a JC Penney though.

My family typically tries things on in the store and comes home to buy from the internet. Not only is it cheaper, it is so much easier to deal with an Amazon return than it is to sit in "customer service" lines for extended amounts of time. I can usually find sufficient amounts of information online regarding a particular product whereas your common worker drone doesn't know his or her ass from a whole in the ground.

Oh no, does this mean my Glenfield warranty is no good?

Penny's headquarters is massive and in a prime real estate area right next to where the new Toyota headquarters is being built. They may sell it off soon and downsize.

I've been buying Stafford Brand underwear from Penny's for decades because of the quality and heavier material. It'll be a shame to lose that when they die.

As a side note, I've noticed an uptick in customers at BestBuy since they are now advertising their cost matching and 14 day return policy. They've been doing that for awhile but didn't really push it. I hope their strategy works.

Jim

Yeah. I see it going away soon. I recall from childhood JCP having a decent restaurant, photo/portrait studio, and a hair salon... full of blue-hairs, yet still full.

This is what I think about. Maybe I am a moron. We all bellyache about crappy customer service and staff that knows nothing about anything. So to avoid that pain in the butt we go online. Then stores close up. Now, we will complain about these "damn kids don't know how to talk or interact with people "because some will not be able to get jobs at these stores since they are gone to learn how to interact with people.

Maybe I am looking at it too deeply or again another moronic rant by me....

I don't think I've darkened a JCP doorway in nearly 20 years now.

ETA, actually I was in one a year or 18 months ago as my wife had photos with the baby done at the JCP portrait studio. The girl there treated my wife so rudely and was so aggressive about up-selling her everything she vowed to never return.

quote:

Originally posted by mutedblade:

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by jcat:
Another victim of Amazon.

Perhaps, but my impression is that most people still buy their clothes in stores, and it seems that whenever I'm in a department store, I'm shopping for clothes. I can't remember the last time I was in a JC Penney though.

My family typically tries things on in the store and comes home to buy from the internet. Not only is it cheaper, it is so much easier to deal with an Amazon return than it is to sit in "customer service" lines for extended amounts of time. I can usually find sufficient amounts of information online regarding a particular product whereas your common worker drone doesn't know his or her ass from a whole in the ground.

If everyone starts doing that, we'll eventually have no stores left for trying on clothes. I'm thinking about someone like my wife who might try on 20 different outfits before finally settling on one or two. Can you imagine the nightmare of going through all those returns? Not to mention different sizes for each outfit! Ugh...

Well, at least the mail services will get plenty of business.

Yep, lost one of my customers on Monday, regional dept store. They filed Chptr 11 and liquidating 100+ stores. Working to get the shipments that are on the water consigned back to us to take back control.

As I read in a news article. Once this is over, you will either have to be really big, or really small. The middle is being strangled by its own inefficiencies, and online sales.

When I worked, I bought only Stanford dress shirts. I had at least a hundred in every color, strip pattern - both long and short sleeve. I'd buy long sleeves in the spring for less than $10 each and buy short sleeve in the fall.

I recently wanted a couple white 'Super Shirts' for Sunday attire. They were priced at $50 each. Who on this planet is gonna pay that for a white shirt made in a third world country? Give me a break.

I waited til after Christmas and got 2 for $40 with free shipping. Great marketing.

Since our retirement, I've shifted to Costco for shirts, socks and jeans. $50 buys a whole outfit. I even scored 2 pair of Sketchers for $9.00 each. My wife is all over their clothes as well.

I hate to see JCP and Sears go but their management plan killed them.

Mike

I would rather price shop and order online have it sent to my location, I have a fuel filter water separator being sent to Tulsa where I will be tomorrow. Went to OReilly Auto parts looking for a part on my wiper arm.....parts guy had that blank look in his eyes like I was speaking pigmy. Went home got on the computer found he cheapest price bam easy peasy. If I find it on Amazon for he cheapest chances are I will have it in two days free shipping.

quote:

I recall from childhood JCP having a decent restaurant, photo/portrait studio, and a hair salon... full of blue-hairs, yet still full.

Growing up, I used to go to the one in Westland Mall with my parents and grandparents. We really didn't have much money growing up so when we got to eat out it was a very big deal. I remember the restaurant having great chili and my paternal grandfather used to like the smothered steak with mushrooms.

As I got older I still shopped there for golf shirts, shorts and swimming trunks.

When I became an adult (at least in age) the store at Westland Mall closed and it relocated to the Tuttle Mall. There was an Asian lady who worked the men's dept who was spot on and so knowledgeable. I would only go to her to get my suits, and I would only let her size me for the alterations.

I hate buying clothes and shoes online. Right now I am having a heck of a time trying to find boots for LE and a new pair of boots for the Army since Wellco ceased making them.

In fact I hate buying anything online. I like to be able to get hands on with an item before I buy it. But like others have said, the customer service sucks anymore or the individuals working the stores are rude and have no knowledge of what they are selling.

I real shame.

On the brighter side, there likely will be an actual sale at Penney's soon.

I always liked JC Penny for business casual. Good prices and selection on pants, shirts, blazers etc. I still have a silk blazer from them that fits well and is of very nice quality. Since their regular stuff was somewhere around the sale price at Macy's, I usually went to Penny's first.

They have been cratering since about 2011 from what I can figure, though.

I still have Penncraft wrenches.

Sears, Penny's, etc all have DNR orders.

I guess some of us are old enough to remember Montgomery Ward. I worked there for 3 years after high school. It taught me that I didn't want to spend the rest of my life working in a retail store. On the whole, a good experience though.

Were I CEO I would make JCP a hybrid online and brick/mortar but try to reproduce what makes Amazon so desirable. It's prolly too late now though.

Spent the summer of 74 working at JC Penney in Calexio, Ca. 125 Degrees outside and the inventory was in the attic. I swear somedays I drank 5 gallons of water on my shift. A few years later, I was a tire buster at Montgomery Wards working my way through college. Last retail jobs I ever had.

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:
They were priced at $50 each. Who on this planet is gonna pay that for a white shirt made in a third world country? Give me a break.

I went to Dillards down in Missoula last fall to buy a nice dress shirt and a tie as I was called as a witness in a court case and wanted to look somewhat presentable. Nope, didn't have any that fit me anymore...tells you how often I get dressed up.

Anywho...a nice long sleeved shirt cost me $120 and a decent looking tie was $75.

I'll stick with jeans and t-shirts.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
I've been buying Stafford Brand underwear from Penny's for decades because of the quality and heavier material. It'll be a shame to lose that when they die.

As a side note, I've noticed an uptick in customers at BestBuy since they are now advertising their cost matching and 14 day return policy. They've been doing that for awhile but didn't really push it. I hope their strategy works.

Jim

I HAD been buying their white tee shirts, and I agree, the quality was good. At least 10 years ago, my wife and I decided JCP was no longer marketing to us. It seemed like their target consumers were no longer middle America. So we said, "goodbye."