Thursday, February 28, 2013

JCP & Sheldon Cooper's Big Bang Suit

I believe I have a handle on the problem at JCP.

In three articles: Your Logo; JCP and 1000 Pennies; and Ackman Selling Penney-Stocks, I've focused on several areas, but not the in-store experience.  I will now amend my grievous omission.

I took a walk into JCP.  

The Experience


I enter the men's department. To my left, I see the shirts.  That I find the colours to be hideous is a personal opinion.  [If sales were up, I would be alone in my opinion.]  The presentation, however, is counter-productive. The shirts are in cubby-holes.  Not only, I can't see the shirts, but to look at them (to see if they are cotton or Polyester) I must hold down one shirt to slide the top shirt out.  They are polyester. Did Mr. Johnson say, "uspcale"? They have shirts with a 17" neck.

I see the ties.  No patterns.  No club ties; no regimental ties; no yellow, paisley power-ties. However, they are shiny.

The suits.  The label says 100% wool.  They don't look like wool. They don't feel like wool.  Did Mr. Johnson say, "upscale"?  However, if we buy into the premise that someone will buy a shirt with a 17" neck, shouldn't there also be suits that look like they will fit a man who wears a shirt with a 17" neck?

Then is see the real problem. The back-story.

I am watching The Big Bang Theory. Dr. Sheldon Cooper (theoretical physicist. To quote Penny, "Boy, I love him, but he is one serious wackadoodle.") must give a speech before receiving an award.  He has stage-fright.  Penny takes him shopping for a new suit to help him build confidence.  He steps out of the dressing room.  The audience laughs.  There is a suit just like that on display at JCP.

A sit-com, sight-gag suit on display at J. C. Penneys.

Perhaps now is the time for Mr. Johnson to revisit the question, "Who does the buying for JCP?" Perhaps the solution is just that simple.

Melissa Lee, a co-anchor on Squawk on the Street, pointed out that Ron Johnson lost $4 Billion dollars since taking over.  $4,000,000,000.

Here is the corporate paradigm:

If Mr. Johnson did nothing and lost $1 Billion dollars, he would have been fired for not doing anything.  Instead, Mr. Johnson does something, loses $4 Billion dollars and has big-time investment fund managers doing commercials to support him on CNBC.

As Melissa Lee pointed out, what they are selling, the shoppers can find anywhere in the mall.

As I pointed out, JCP is not Apple.  

The first three articles on the subject.





Warmest regards,

Slim   
PS. If you find anything here to be helpful, please do not hesitate to send me a really tricked-out Mac and to tuck a few dollars into the envelope along with the thank you note.



[Thanks, Slim. Very helpful. We sent along a little gift for you.]

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