J.C. Penney, in full J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc., formerly J.C. Penney Stores Company (1913–24) and J.C. Penney Co. (1924–68), American retail company, founded in 1902 by James Cash Penney and today engaged in marketing apparel, home furnishings, jewelry, cosmetics, and cookware.

As one of the nation's largest retailers of apparel, home, jewelry, and beauty merchandise, JCPenney has a portfolio of private and national brands of remarkable quality and exceptional value.

Discount stores including Walmart and Target spread, stealing away JCPenney's budget-conscious customers. The company was hit hard by the Great Recession in 2008. It lost shoppers to discount stores and struggled to bring them back as the economy began to rebound.

JCPenney's mission statement is "JCPenney is executing a strategic Long Range Plan that consists of four integrated strategies aimed at building a deeper, more enduring relationship with our customers, increasing the engagement and retention of our Associates, and delivering industry leading financial performance to ...

He accepted “cash only” for his goods, rather than credit. Penney's store was successful because his customers liked the merchandise and good service. Within a year, Penney was managing two more stores. Soon, he had a one-third ownership in three stores in Wyoming.

JCPenney is on a mission to design, develop, source and offer customers more sustainable products that our customers love. We have developed a five-year roadmap to use preferred sustainable fibers in 100% of our private label apparel and home products by 2026.

Death of J.C. Penney and peak: 1970s JCPenney reached its peak number of stores in 1973, with 2,053 stores, 300 of which were full-line establishments. However, the company was hard hit by the 1974 recession with its stock price declining by two-thirds.

For the full year ending in January 2023, JCPenney's net sales fell 3.4% year-over-year to $7.6 billion. Overall, department store sales dropped 1.5% over the first seven months of 2023, compared to a year ago, Census data shows.

J.C. Penney's sales have stayed relatively steady since 2021, but profits are declining. Net sales, in billions, and net income or loss, in millions, from the first quarter of 2021 to the third quarter of 2022.

JCPenney has targeted upper-middle and middle-class families as its potential customers and set up mid-range department outlets. It believes in the everyday value and has adopted its pricing strategy based on this theme.

Death of J.C. Penney and peak: 1970s and its revenues reached $5 billion (equivalent to $36.1 billion in 2023) for the first time and catalog business made a profit for the first time. JCPenney reached its peak number of stores in 1973, with 2,053 stores, 300 of which were full-line establishments.

For more than a century, JCPenney has built a legacy of ethical and responsible business conduct that protects human rights, promotes environmental sustainability, and complies with local laws and regulations.

Being sustainable is being people and planet-oriented. This is in sharp contrast to the traditional goal of businesses which is to maximize profit and boost your bottom line. A sustainable brand will have a bigger vision which is to create a lasting impact on people, economies, the environment, and communities.

In 2020, J.C. Penney was the fifth leading apparel retailer in the United States. Some of its main competitors include TJX, Nordstrom, and Macy's.

Struggling retailer J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) has reported a net loss in each of the past four years. The company's balance sheet is loaded with debt -- over $5 billion as of the most recent earnings report -- resulting in over $400 million of interest payments per year.

A target market is a group of customers with shared demographics who have been identified as the most likely buyers of a company's product or service. Identifying the target market is important in the development and implementation of a successful marketing plan for any new product.