Mall stalwart JCPenney isn’t just for socks and chinos anymore; the retailer has been edging into the appliance territory once dominated by competitor Sears for a while. But apparently edging in on Sears’ turf isn’t enough, and JCP is considering honing in on something a little more Home Depot, too.
Back in May, the JCP announced it would be offering major home appliances — dishwashers, ovens, and the like — in 500 stores nationwide by the end of the year. That’s about half its locations, give or take. And it appears to be working out well enough for the retailer that now it’s considering expanding into the rest of your house, too.
As the Dallas News spotted, displays from HVAC company Trane are starting to pop up in select JCP stores.
Trane sells full heating, cooling, and ventilation systems. Obviously you can’t just pick them up and take them home with you in the trunk or strapped to the roof, but you can presumably talk to specialists about solutions for your home.
Perhaps it’s not surprising JCP is edging into Home Depot space: that’s where CEO Marvin Ellison used to work. But Home Depot doesn’t really carry Trane products, The Dallas News points out, which frees that company up to enter the partnership with JCP.
And while “come for the furnace, stay for the khakis” may sound a little silly, it pretty much is the strategy behind this pilot test. As a JCP spokesperson put it to the Dallas News, “We’re always exploring new ideas and partnerships that will entice customers to shop and spend more at J.C. Penney.”
Will it work? Who knows. That’s why it’s still a small-scale test.
by Kate Cox via Consumerist
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