JCPenney Selling Toys

Predicting the demise of Sears & Kmart since 2017!
Alpha8472
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JCPenney Selling Toys

Post by Alpha8472 »

JCPenney has announced that they will add toy shops to all of their stores. Currently only 100 of them sell toys as a test. Apparently, they feel that toys can be profitable for them.

After K.B. Toys closed, my local mall did not have any place that sold toys. If the toy shop is advertised or visible, it could draw in many customers.

JCPenney will sell toy lines similar to Target and Wal-Mart. These are the most popular toys such as Barbie and Star Wars.
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Re: JCPenney Selling Toys

Post by jamcool »

Some of us remember when Penney had full line toy departments, as did Sears and Wards
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Re: JCPenney Selling Toys

Post by storewanderer »

What happened to the home services and appliance businesses they were trying to start up?

Oh and the CFO just left.

And now they are adding toys to the stores?

Why not add greeting cards and candy shops while you are at it. Oh and bring back "gift wrap" too.

This outfit is literally trying everything, and hoping by some miracle something they try actually sticks and works.
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Re: JCPenney Selling Toys

Post by SamSpade »

storewanderer wrote:Why not add greeting cards and candy shops while you are at it.
*Technically* they did do this under the Ron Johnson era toward the end, the messy Martha Stewart relationship brought in party items, cards, and such.
Tried to find an image but instead ran into this nugget:
Penney agreed to a ten-year, two-hundred-million-dollar licensing deal with M.S.L.O., which requires payments to Stewart’s company for the merchandise it designs, even if the products don’t carry her name. At the time the deal was announced, in December, 2011, Penney had also purchased nearly seventeen per cent of Stewart’s company, for $38.5 million; the company has two representatives on the M.S.L.O. board.
That must have been some break up fee! (or M.S.L.O. is still designing the generic housewares that JCPenney sells today)
Image
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Re: JCPenney Selling Toys

Post by pseudo3d »

I don't know if it was one of the Ron Johnson things or not, but a lot of stores during that era were remodeled to include Joe Fresh departments, but that contract expired. I do wonder if it might be picked up by a supermarket next, seeing how it's a Loblaws concept licensed outside of Canada.
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Re: JCPenney Selling Toys

Post by rwsandiego »

pseudo3d wrote:I don't know if it was one of the Ron Johnson things or not, but a lot of stores during that era were remodeled to include Joe Fresh departments, but that contract expired. I do wonder if it might be picked up by a supermarket next, seeing how it's a Loblaws concept licensed outside of Canada.
A Racked Article from 2016 indicates it was a Ron Johnson deal.
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Re: JCPenney Selling Toys

Post by storewanderer »

While they are at it, I propose they look at additional low/no margin categories. Appliances are obviously a flop so they are now trying whatever they possibly can.

If you are going to have toys, why not offer candy too? Maybe bulk candy bins, sold by the pound, similar to some small mall like shops that do this. Of course that is a high margin, but low volume, sort of item.

Based on their low levels of staffing and the filthiness (especially in the fitting rooms and other corners) of their stores, I am not sure if they could keep the candy areas clean, but I suppose it would be worth a try.
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Re: JCPenney Selling Toys

Post by mbz321 »

storewanderer wrote:While they are at it, I propose they look at additional low/no margin categories. Appliances are obviously a flop so they are now trying whatever they possibly can.

Huh? Everything I read recently said they were doing well with appliances and rolling them out to more locations. I think they might be able to pick up some of whatever is left of Sears' market share when they eventually go under.
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Re: JCPenney Selling Toys

Post by wnetmacman »

jamcool wrote:Some of us remember when Penney had full line toy departments, as did Sears and Wards
I remember Sears having seasonal toy departments, usually installing them when the Garden Center stuff ran its course during the early fall, just in time for Christmas. After, they were gone again.
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Re: JCPenney Selling Toys

Post by Super S »

mbz321 wrote:
storewanderer wrote:While they are at it, I propose they look at additional low/no margin categories. Appliances are obviously a flop so they are now trying whatever they possibly can.

Huh? Everything I read recently said they were doing well with appliances and rolling them out to more locations. I think they might be able to pick up some of whatever is left of Sears' market share when they eventually go under.
I don't know if they are a flop, but one thing that I have noticed, at several locations now, that NOBODY is ever around in the appliance department. I agree that they could do well especially in malls where Sears has already closed, or will end up closing.

Gotta give them credit for at least trying different things to bring people back.
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