Deep Dive Into The Decline of JCPenney

[@sarahcaitlin1147]

Something you guys might find interesting that I read is that actually based on some studies and surveys companies are finding that Gen Z actually prefers in store shopping because it gives them a way to disconnect from the internet. They do expect the stores to provide an experience and "vibe" though to draw them in and make their shopping experience enjoyable. I can't deny I'm on their side with this one, if its true. I don't really like online shopping and I'm part of the generation responsible for it taking over (31 year old millennial lol) so I'm hoping this is true and Gen Z helps save the brick and mortar.

[@happypenguin25]

I'm a millennial. That is exactly why I like shopping in stores. I'm trying to reduce my dependency on the internet.

[@jacobcruik]

omg okay. I totally get this. I have said many times that I like online shopping better but in store shopping is so much fun. and yeah it's nice to not have to always be on the internet.

[@dena81]

This is interesting because my mom works with a gen Z-er and told me how he prefers shopping in store where I'm 40 and I prefer online shopping mainly because I have no time to go out and take the time to look around. So gen z really isn't the problem.

[@emilymeyers6069]

I’m a gen z and it’s not that I hate online shopping I just don’t get it like you could end up with a broken product or the wrong size clothes and waste your money I just think stores are better to hang out with friends or family or just get out of the fricken house you know?

[@lexek101]

Gen Z- I prefer shopping in person! But, department stores sadly are extremely expensive, everything has gone up in price but our wages have not! Online you can find the best possible price!

[@picnicforfrogs]

so many fond memories of getting lost trying to find the bathroom in jcpenney’s 🥰

[@Me-dg5hy]

THEY HAD BATHROOMS????

[@radmaddie9574]

@@Me-dg5hy they did mine was in a mall that’s no longer there 😱

[@cecilem1312]

I live in Canada and have never had the jcpenny experience. Thanks for taking me to jcpenny today, friends!

[@yanahakai]

14:24 most iconic moment in this video. The grace in that theatrically slow fall. 💃

[@raellaytor]

I’m living for this full on SWOT analysis for JCPenney. Also I’m loving that the founder is the 19th century version of Cash Money

[@TIRZAHTIZZY]

3:52:😂😂😂😂 I needed Jacob to elaborate on the 80 year old in history class part.

[@ductape501]

You’re totally right, I worked there, and none of the sales are actually sales... unless you’re in the clearance. The fake sales are just the items being priced way up beyond what they’re worth and then they make it look like its on “sale”. The clothing is low quality af half the time

[@MichaelSBetts]

Who does the editing? Half the humor comes from that! My favorite: 10:49-10:58. Well done!

[@freddyX2222]

Can we just be thankful for the fact that they make their vids soooo funny

[@andrew6xrv]

What’s funny is Sephora leaving all their JCPenney locations within the next year and opening in Kohl’s instead lol

[@jacobcruik]

hahaha okay interesting

[@VividiVavidi_V]

There's still a Sephora at my local JCPenney!

[@cla-it2eq]

I love your in-depth analysis of JCPenney lol

[@jacobcruik]

thank you! should I do this with more stores?

[@marymarb6775]

@@jacobcruik yes!! Love you:)

[@JCTheaterYGO]

Just a heads up with the appliances thing-they still have small ones but they used to have like fridges and washing machines and stuff. How the mighty fall…

[@ShiroganeIchigo]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video! My first job was at JCPenney and I worked there from 2010-2016. The Ron Johnson era was definitely the beginning of the end. I still shop there (with coupons, of course!) and it will always hold a special place in my heart, like maybe 5%. ☺️ Oh and also someone else already said this, but the appliances they sold for a while and then got rid of were washing machines, dryers, fridges, etc.

[@jacobcruik]

ohhh okay now I get the whole appliances thing. also yeah the 5% of heart is totally accurate for me too

[@shantelshantel4384]

Purse shopping with my mom in Jcp was traumatizing, hours inside that little section just for her to pick some floral arm bag.

[@Ravenlovesbingy]

This made me have a flash back from my childhood purse and shoe shopping with my grandmother. I once was so hungry I literally sat down because I was so nauseous from hunger and ended up laying over for another hour while she debated which purse would go with her shoes.

[@kookykiddo]

😭😭😭 omg this gave me flashbacks too hahaha

[@crazynapsacker]

i love you jacob and lucas :)

[@jjjjj4787]

this is a wonderful video 😂 i work at a decor store and it used to (like the building) be a jcpenney back in the day and people love to tell me that and i’m always like… okay… 😂

[@chrisskelton]

JCPenny and Kmart were staples of my childhood. There was also a store called Hills that was bought out YEARS ago that I have very fond memories of. These are more than just stores, they are memories. My JCPenny has been gone for a few years now, so I've had time to process it. I completely understand the nostalgia of it all. It was THE store where I got more "expensive" clothes to mix in with my Kmart clothes growing up. This would have been mid to late 90s, so well before their decline or any outward appearance of one. This time is year, it would be bustling with Christmas shopping, back then. I'd be trying on shoes that I wouldn't wear until Christmas. I got my graduation suit from JCPenny. I kept up with style trends of the 90s with my wildly overpriced JNKO jeans from none other than JCPenny. Striped collared shirts in every combination of colors you can think of, they had it all! It is sad to see them go. Buying things online is great and all, but it's not the same, and not worth remembering. My memories of shopping there, in person, with various family members are forever engraved in my memory. Love y'all 🤗

[@emma1867]

I'm not American but I still find these types of videos interesting, don't listen to that person who said it was boring 🙄

[@RifeLife420]

Most iconic duo 🏆 💕

[@korijohnson2788]

Do one on Sears! Ours closed a year or two ago and now I never see them anymore.

[@vanessacruz5552]

Most of them closed down or are all closed down by now. They might have revived into a sears hometown whatever that means. I use to work at sears so that video would be interesting

[@radmaddie9574]

Or Kmart

[@babygfeva]

We have a few 90s JCP photo studio photos... My mom lived in the portrait studio since I was a baby. Also one of the places I liked to go for back to school shopping...I miss the 90s and the photo studio. I'll probably never go back but damn, those were the days!!!!!!

[@annakubitz]

If I was a marketing professor I would make my students watch this video! Very informative, thank you for your informative video and al of your research 😌🙌✨

[@jenniferdonlin6627]

What, do you want them to fail?

[@ariezdoll]

Yes!! I would pass your class

[@j_8O]

21:21 the crocs really make this outfit

[@strawberrybangles7124]

“I’ve heard you sing in church…..show your talent”🤣😭with the ring light microphone stand 🤣😭

[@DhaniNMarie]

JC Penny is my favorite way to easily enter my local mall, if they ever close it will be a travesty because I hate the main mall entrance

[@Danlboi]

We have a really nice JC Penney's store about 15 minutes from where I live here in south Texas. It's great place to still find clothes for my 89 year old mom. 😊

[@sunnysteph_o]

My mom used to only take me to Kohl’s or JCPenney for my school clothes 😂 Thank you for not embarrassing me JCP, the clothes were aight.

[@sicklyfoalfrombrowndesert5052]

“Maybe there was a jackass customer that threw everything around or something” **me imagining Jonny Knoxville’s crew hitting up the juicy couture section**

[@dena81]

If the Cruikshank brothers can't save JCPenney's then who can?

[@Summer55Nicole]

I loved this video btw! Do more of these!!

[@meeeeena]

I'm from asia and idk what a JCPenney is but i'm invested in this deep dive

[@WhatEver-bx2hu]

I worked at JCPenneys a few years ago so honestly this video just hits different. It wasn't a good experience so I'm excited to see their downfall 😩

[@elaine378]

I’m not American, have never been to a jcpenney- and now it seems likely that i never will, but you best believe I still watched the entire video: gladly, too! :,))

[@katc2040]

You could also go to Dillard's or Macy's they're still here and exactly the same thing

[@cameliacosette]

My family lives about 45 miles from a big city and the only Sephora in the area is in JC Penny. I swear it’s the only reason they’ve lasted in this town for so long.

[@maggdogg5]

tbh i really hope malls don’t fall any time soon… i love going to the mall! i can’t figure out why people don’t like it… with online shopping, you can’t try anything on before purchasing, and you can’t get mall food lol.

[@snehasingh4792]

Oh god, me and my boyfriend have the divorce couch 😥

[@jacobcruik]

hahahaha maybe we're just meanies

[@gerbelle90]

Great heart drawing, Jacob!

[@mady9086]

Me, a jcp employee 😅😅😅😅. Another cute little fact when James cash penny opened jcpennies he refused to have dimes in the cash drawer so the store wouldn’t be considered a dime store so to this day we don’t carry dimes in our drawers

[@jacobcruik]

okay I had to google what "dime store" meant but now I get it. interesting

[@mady9086]

I guess I should I correct myself I work at Sephora inside jcp and I agree Sephora is a big reason customers go to jcp still however, they’re taking Sephora out of jcp and putting them into kohls 🥲

[@supitzsarah]

JCPennys holds a tiny space in my heart my parents would take me there and kohls for back to school clothes

[@ShanKatOD]

Who else’s grandma called it J C Pennéy

[@katc2040]

My grandparents called it "penny's"

[@SJ80sCCM]

You TWO!! I just can’t. You guys are better than any depressant I’ve ever taken (and that’s a lot!). I can’t quit laughing. If I’m sad, every day, I go to you 2 bros and I’m happy and laughing!!!

[@chaseyy987]

i love the energy lucas is giving off whenever he showed off his outfits lmaoo

[@italktoomuchsorry]

As an ex-jcp employee I’ve never clicked a video so fast 😂

[@Stoudy2]

They definetly rebranded the toaster oven when it comes to the convection based air fryers. Now I am also going to say that Tiny Homes are rebranded Trailers.

[@jewel7954]

i remember having a mental breakdown at jcpenney and crying in front of all the elderly shoppers

[@liliagrajeda3789]

Why does this video make me want to go to jcp

[@jacobcruik]

honestly I want to go back after looking at the comments. it has so much nostalgia around it. also about a week ago I went to JCPenney again to get sunscreen from Sephora and I enjoyed the experience lol

[@nikkiaguilera3581]

omg jcpenney feels like a fever dream

[@Js2Jo]

RIP: JCPenny #jcpenny

[@MotherRupaul]

this video is everything, thank u

[@DhaniNMarie]

Y'all need to do a video where you go to Hot Topic (or their less emo sister store called Box Lunch), that would be awesome

[@lorna6137]

Going into department stores gives me anxiety idk why lol

[@HEMLOXXX]

screaming and crying when lucas said vacuuming 😭😭

[@bibby4838]

Great vid but I wish you'd tried on more outfits that was my fav part lol

[@emily-ne4zc]

RIP to the original JC (NOT Jesus Christ)

[@yvngxshady]

Omg I seriously thought you meant Jesus Christ

[@emily-ne4zc]

@@yvngxshady Haha I don’t know why JCPennys always made me think of Jesus Christ 🤣

[@flowrgurln]

omg this makes me worried cuz i work at jcpenney. but idk bout the other ones shutting down cuz my store is busy asf!

[@Summer55Nicole]

I honestly think part of their problem is that they wanna be like Nordstrom or kohls but JCPenny is always so run down. They need to redo most of their stores and keep them clean. Like you showed there’s always stuff thrown all over the place or not put in the rights spots. I always just get annoyed shopping there because of those reasons.

[@katc2040]

Aka they need to pay their workers more and hire more people

[@annamarusarz7628]

Our jc pennies is still open Bc it is attached to the mall of ga which is the biggest mall in the southeast

[@kateashleyllave5192]

economic lessons with jake and luke

[@pslgreg]

When you sell junk, people don't buy more. I bought a shirt, washed it, and 3 buttons came off. I bought sneakers, and the multi part soles started coming apart the first time I put them on. Looking for a down comforter, the JCP price was 5 times Sears sale price. I bought 4 shirts,expecting shrinkage, washed and wore 1, and went to exchange the other 3 for a smaller size. They said the sale was over,so to exchange the shirts,I would have to pay the difference. Thanks for reminding me it's a good thing that shit business is dying. 🤣

[@katc2040]

Wtf?? That Is ridiculous

[@flowrgurln]

omg i work at jcpenney and we’re like super busy thooo lol

[@bradleyuppercrustthe3rd871]

I worked at JCPenney in the kids section. I remember so many evenings having to stay late because I had to fix the shirt displays for toddlers that were messed up by parents and their ugly kids.

[@pj45queen]

Not their ugly kids 😂😂😂😂 this is too funny I actually felt your pain as I read this 😩

[@babygfeva]

I feel you. Most of them don't even be paying attention to their kids anyways...😂😂😂 Had a long life of retail jobs, and they all sucked!!

[@linthetin6419]

I have never experienced a Jacob or Lucas video I wasn’t brought joy byyy

[@luckyboy2933]

i honestly cannot tell if they are being serious or not this is great

[@Iaurenz]

pretty sure kohl’s has a partnership with amazon, you can return amazon packages at their stores

[@mommygonzo]

They just fired me but I guess it was a blessing in disguise

[@kit3662]

Maaaan, I love you guy's sooooo much💕 Jacob you need to do some research about Dolores Cannon😱

[@Cheyannerose12]

i dont know how people online shop. last pants i wore i had to shop in the kid section at jc penny cuz i was 145 pounds then back to 110 and my body is all sorts of confused and ugh i cant shop online long story short :(.. if they close idk where to find the jegging pants i wear.. idk

[@AroundIndiana]

People always blame online shopping for these closures, but JCpenney has a website too.

[@shantelshantel4384]

If you think about it though, I'd rather buy the clothing brands they sell from the source instead of jcp and online shopping makes that more accessible.

[@strawberrybangles7124]

21:35 I would buy every house you recommended 🤣😭yesss

[@nataliethompson7766]

All they have to do is make a statement wall that people can come in and take pictures with lol!

[@jacobcruik]

hahaha wait that might do it

[@shaybayyy333]

Someone got killed in the jcpenny bathroom near me, fun fact

[@j-rodthelibrarykid1166]

R.i.P.

[@stevenousleyII]

These deep dive videos have me totally an entirely shook

[@RADICALICIOUSrys]

JC Penneys and Dillards are places that you go to for LITERALLY just a prom dress FROM the clearance section

[@torimarie1458]

I think you're right, Jacob... I am not sure JCPenny knows who they are. I think they could benefit from figuring that out and starting there LOL

[@blythekaitlyn4641]

rip jcpenny

[@SpookyRuby280]

Thank you

[@loompy1440]

I blame JCPenney for my phase as a kid back in 2001 where I wore shiny silk Hawaiian shirts. Good riddance! Jk that’s kinda sad RIP nostalgia department stores

[@kloeeortega]

The last time I went to one was maybe 6 or 5 years ago 🚶‍♀️

[@yvngxshady]

I went like 3 years ago

[@abblejac]

I've listened to your podcast when eating mcdonalds so many times that now when I hear your voices I taste mcdonalds

[@Karra__with_a_K]

JCP reminds me of a hotdog place or fast food with that logo

[@theotherdanw]

Your JCP is much better stocked than mine is! It's really too bad, they used to be one of the better retail clothing stores around but somehow they lost their way...

[@SeaBassTian]

"He's good looking though!" Hahaha I'm dead.

[@strawberrybangles7124]

This is way too entertaining for a Business class group project 🤣💕

[@justicesage2k]

I'm genuinely so confused and feel like I've entered a parallel universe while watching this video and reading these comments. What is going on

[@kpopcovers1523]

This video was surprisingly interesting lmao

[@emilymeyers6069]

I don’t think I’ve ever been to a JCPenney’s tbh

[@nope_222]

Most of the clothes they sell seem so outdated, maybe that's where they're going wrong

[@JustAway9]

the misogynistic section had me dead

[@sierra1996]

i worked at sephora in jcp, they were always getting onto me about not getting people to sign up for jcpenney credit cards

[@Laffytaffysyd]

Lucas, boo, heads up for the future that “hunky dory” actually means “good” even though I agree that it sounds like it could be a negative way to describe a clearance section!

[@bananawitchcraft]

That threw me for a loop. I wonder if he meant to say “higgledy-piggledy” or “helter-skelter” or something but couldn’t think of the right word

[@AmyB369]

I prefer to shop in person, but stores never sell what I need or am looking for so it's very frustrating. Pretty much all department stores have closed and most clothing stores in the US sell cheap ugly clothing made from bad material

[@NicoTineman]

The logo at 7:50 is meant to look like an American Flag..

[@kpopcovers1523]

Umm I’m sorry but why isn’t Jacob doing vlogmas smh 🤦‍♂️

[@Karra__with_a_K]

The only reason I ever go into JCPenney is to get to Sephora inside the store 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@alexandriamdo]

no because i always wanted to have a photoshoot in jc penny when i was little and my dream never came true

[@Angelicnoise666]

me when I work at a jcpenney 😳

[@ivorellarackley4401]

20:48 "this jacket without sleeves" Oh baby, that's a vest lol it's to keep your chest warm but your arms not weighed down. Edit: My boyfriend said it's because your core gets warm and your extremities are warm from the core.

[@vanessacruz5552]

I think jacob went number 1

[@jacobcruik]

YOU WON THE CONTEST

[@vanessacruz5552]

Oh my gosh , you replied to me!! Im not fangirling right now lol ... i can die happy ! ❤

[@Mazoreo]

wasn’t JCpenny and Walmart created by the same person

[@MsLizzieGurl]

All the jcpenney's within a 30 minute drive from me have shut down like I have no idea if there are any near me still open