Shoppers abandon Penney's in droves

[TexasTowelie]

FORT WORTH -- A shopper strode out of J.C. Penney at Ridgmar mall without making a purchase because it didn't have what she was seeking at the Sephora makeup counter.

"I used to come a lot but not now. Actually I wasn't thrilled with the changes. They're ending coupons and I cut up my Penney's credit card when they started using Ellen DeGeneres" as a celebrity endorser, said the Springtown resident, who identified herself only as Connie. "I'm very conservative."

Like other once-loyal Penney's customers, Connie was turned off by abrupt changes implemented by Ron Johnson, the chain's CEO of 17 months who was sacked last week after annual sales dropped 25 percent at stores open at least a year.

Before recently backpedaling, Johnson cut way back on coupons and promotions in favor of everyday low prices, and began filling its 1,100 outlets with branded mini-stores like Joe Fresh, many of them youth-oriented.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/04/13/4772548/shoppers-abandon-penneys-in-droves.html#my-headlines-default#storylink=cpy

[ForgoTheConsequence]

1. Sounds like their customers were mostly idiots.

They would rather have the illusion of paying less with coupons than paying lower prices all the time.


Also Connie sounds like a piece of garbage.

[mbperrin]

5. I don't know about a lot of their merchandise, but the towels

and men's undies were the same price before and after, although the signs SAID they were lower.

As I remind my students, labels are arbitrary. I can get a nametag at school that says "Brad Pitt", but it would fool none of them. Nice laugh line, but it's true.

And of course, any business who thinks their customers are idiots will lose a bunch of them.

[shraby]

2. The last time I shopped at Pennys I wanted to buy some levis for mr Shraby.

All they had was tattered and "stone-washed" jeans...as a mother of three boys, I recognize used clothing when I see it. Those were used jeans and they were asking over 30 bucks for a pair. I said I don't pay that kind of money for used jeans, handed them back to the sales girl and walked out and never have been back.

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. i hope penneys survives. hate to left with just walmart

[mbperrin]

4. I tried to buy some underwear a few months ago there.

Found them, and then spent 30 minutes trying to find someone to take my money. Gave up, put the undies back and won't be back. What dumb capitalists! Taking the $$$$$$$$$$$$$ ought to be some kind of priority.