Has JCPenney Been Saved? | Retail Archaeology

[@wolfgang1097]

My local JCPenney is actually stuck in 2010, which is definitely a red flag. It's a matter of time until it closes.

[@Pototoes949]

"I didn't know they still used the term Husky for boys", no they don't the sign is just 30 years old lol

[@dudley7540]

I haven't been Husky in over 30 years. Like the dogs, though!

[@MK-of7qw]

Im not husky either...Im chonk.

[@pokerdealer2003]

They still have husky fit I just bought a pair for my son, he’s big boned.

[@thanakonpraepanich4284]

@@pokerdealer2003 How big the boy's waist line is before I must go looking for husky as well?

[@R32R38]

@@thanakonpraepanich4284 As far as I know "husky" means that the waistline is larger than the inseam.

[@sonicmoremusic1]

I was a "Husky" boy...it was much nicer than "Fat Kids" clothes.

[@RetailArchaeology]

I still am a husky boy 😂

[@wolfgang1097]

Sometimes, Boys Husky can be used for older boys (at least 8 to 10 years old) who aren't quite men's size yet.

[@kuroneko2788]

Im dying~ Thank you for this!

[@atsmith99]

Husky boys represent

[@RolasRook]

Was FC actually a term used? I've always been scrawny so curious.

[@vwgirl]

The El Con sign will remain regardless of what goes in there. Years ago the owner of the property took the sign down. The public outcry was so great they had the sign restored and reinstalled.

[@RetailArchaeology]

That's pretty neat 😁

[@vwgirl]

@@RetailArchaeology If you have never driven around Tucson. Do it. Lots of vintage store sign remain that have been left in place due to their historic value. There also a lumber jack on Glenn that has been maintained (during Christmas they put a candy cane in his hands and a Santa hat) even though the original store is long gone. Years ago they finally allowed vintage neon signs to be repaired after decades of a law that prohibited it. May make for an interesting video one day.

[@JTA1961]

& if they shut down completely it'll be X~CON

[@jsnsk101]

The problem with a liquidation sale in current times, is that you go to a liquidation sale to see what they have for cheap, rummage around and browse. People are just going out to get what they know they want/need thesedays

[@oldtwinsna8347]

You know it's overpriced when even professional ebay scalpers are skipping it.

[@stuartpickles6907]

I had to get my jeans in the 'chubby bastards' section

[@RetailArchaeology]

Me too

[@thanakonpraepanich4284]

@@RetailArchaeology Isn't the death of Abercrombie & Fitch showed us 'chubby bastards' will pay up but skinny, so called 'beautiful people' won't?

[@Optopolis]

Getting jeans as a kid is hellish. Husky too loose in the wrong areas, normal too tight in other wrong areas. I ended up just getting baggy cargo pants when I was younger cuz nothing else fit comfortably at all. I think part of the issue is that most these brands go for more of a "one size fits all" approach, and that's not a good approach imo.

[@MissMTurner]

The black off area looks like a Sephora. They have them set up in a lot of JCP stores. Honestly the last time I was in JCP was to hit the Sephora.

[@BoratWanksta]

Ah, I didn't realize that curtained off area was a Sephora. Makes sense it probably was that, when I think more of the extremely tiny area I could peak of there behind the curtain.

[@robyrob9026]

I agree , that’s the only reason we went to JcPenny was because my wife needed to go to Sephora.

[@animeshock2006]

Yeah a ton of big department stores are doing a store within a store thing

[@lj8440]

sephora saved them...till they build an ulta right next to it

[@nachgeben]

Could literally spend hours listening to you, Company Man and Defunctland. I need to just create massive playlist of you three lads.

[@trevonpernell0814]

Don't forget Bright Sun Films.

[@nachgeben]

@@trevonpernell0814 I don't actually know that channel, but I will head on over now that I've actually seen this comment to see!

[@trevonpernell0814]

@@nachgeben Yeah, they have vids on Sears, Circuit City, Toys R Us, Blockbuster, Ames, Bradless, Montgomery Ward, etc., etc. You'd like what you'd see.

[@Gia_Marie]

And Dan Bell. Would love to see a collaboration between them doing a dead mall.

[@trevonpernell0814]

@@Gia_Marie Might as well add the Proper People as well.

[@lilpellegrino6672]

The reason why there is alot of merchandise still left is because jcpenny does not carry any desirable brands. I was at a neiman marcus liquidation sale 10 days untill closing, and nearly everything was gone.

[@MsAngrybutterfly]

I had the same experience at Nordstroms. I was really mad the Nordstrom was closing because it was the closest one to me and I had a Note that was expiring, and there wasn't anything left with probably 2 months left.

[@brokenmn99]

@@MsAngrybutterfly was it the one at chandler mall?

[@MsAngrybutterfly]

@@brokenmn99 No, the one at Stonestown Galleria. I don't even know why they closed that one. Stonestown is kind of a mini destination mall now.

[@thelazycrafter4u]

Same thing with K-mart. All the good stuff was gone from the 10%-30% discount. Went back during the final days. Toy section was cleaned out. Most other departments too. Some items that didn't sell were hemorrhoid cream and 3 ring binders.

[@peacefuldaizy5717]

I work at Sears. When a store is being liquidated, they take the good merchandise and send it to a non-closing store. The non-closing store sends their crappy merchandise they cannot sell to the store that's being liquidated. People go crazy when they see the word "liquidation," but it's mostly crappy merchandise unless the entire corporation is being liquidated.

[@litigioussociety4249]

Im amazed JCPenney's has lasted this long. A lot of them went to catalog only starting twenty years ago. I think they failed to get a good online system, similar to Toys R Us, so they're probably done for. I'll always remember the JCPenney sign being the back drop the mall in Back to the Future.

[@animeshock2006]

Well toys r us was more they got saddled with hedgefunders debt

[@thelazycrafter4u]

Sadly that JC Penney's is not there anymore.

[@josepharmstrong1531]

@@animeshock2006 Toys-R-Us died because they were almost $20 more expensive per toy compared to Walmart/Amazon. JCP is dead because going to their store sucks the life from you, and their prices aren't worth going to.

[@rebeccasmith3837]

wow, what an out-dated dinosaur. Everything looks old, frumpy and dirty. They avoided adapting after 20 years and this is their outcome.

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

Well financially they've been a zombie company since 2005 if you go and look at their balance sheet, they took on mass amounts of debt and they've never quit and a lot of that debt they're using to buy their own stock! driving the price higher to make things look better than it really is see the whole stock market is a bubble and most of retail is a bubble and we know that housing market is totally a bubble!! Of course even the preppy jackass types that shop JCPenney along with Kohl's Macy's and Sears well they too are running low on money they just don't want to admit that that's really the case cuz they're superficial knownothing morons!!

[@ignazs.5816]

@@American-Motors-Corporation I think Kohl's seems to be doing fine. Macy's tumbled all of a sudden. Sears has been on its deathbed for decades.

[@mantronixtube]

they carry really cool things actually the shop in arcadia ca is really nice

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

@@ignazs.5816 No actually Kohl's is not doing well! Pretty much everyone of these companies has taken on mass amounts of debt and if you go back and you look at their balance sheets you'll find that executives across the board throughout retail as an industry have lost their minds in and around 2005 and that's when they really started to eat up the debt guess what they've been doing it ever since and of course lot of that is because they're buying their own chairs to inflate the stock market value of their shares!!

[@nachgeben]

The thing is: They could CAPITALIZE on that. With this massive 1980s nostalgia kick going on, if they embraced going backwards in design and gave us an aesthetic of shopping in that time period, they would probably do excellent. It's gimmicky, but it'd totally work. Maybe add some embellishments that malls had, just to their stores. Like little rollercoasters for people. Nothing intense as it could be for the little'uns too, but make the coasters the old creepy kinds you see from the 1980s--just make sure they look brand new. Make it legit feel like you're stepping back in time in a positive way. Sears and JCPenney doing this would be excellent. They could go back farther, of course, but the 1980s is popular atm and colorful, with enough people who were alive as kids during it, or had toys from that decade because they were born within it, or at the end, or just after it, that it would really strike the right chords.

[@morganjenkins2662]

Everytime I've been in JC Pennys (which.. honestly was just because it was close to the food court without having the parking problem of the food court entrance. I never bought anything there), the clothes always just seemed old. Not like they were sitting around and they were trying to move dead stock. But more like the buyers saw magazines from eight years before and was like "yes, this. This is what customers want" and proceeded to go try to fill the store with just that. In retail in general and clothing especially, you can't be behind the trends and expect to keep doing well.

[@_g7085]

Agreed. Especially the women's clothing....I always wonder about how popular some of the styles are. This presumably correlates with so much inventory still being there despite the liquidation sale. If it was really desirable apparel and just too expensive, then it should move fast at 75%-90% off. But price doesn't seem to be the problem...

[@morganjenkins2662]

@@_g7085 And god forbid you're plus size! All they have available for you are frumpy old lady clothes. Aside for a niche fashion I'm part of, I buy all my clothes in person still. Because I have to try them on. Brick and mortar retail stores arent dying for people shopping online. Brick and mortar stores arent keeping up, and they also don't care for the business of certain body types.

[@EnoughSaidNoNeedToDiscuss]

Clothing styles never get old, you just have brave enough and know how to pull any decade of fashion off❣️

[@morganjenkins2662]

@@EnoughSaidNoNeedToDiscuss The niche fashion style I'm part of is a Japanese street fashion based on rococo era gowns. Bravery has nothing to do with it. Also fashion tends to follow a 20 year cycle. Things from 20 years ago DO start to look trendy again. Things from the early 2010s will look dated.

[@EnoughSaidNoNeedToDiscuss]

@@morganjenkins2662 yeah, I get that. It’s like playing a current style too soon needing it to age a bit to become retro to bring it back to life👒👗✨❣️

[@dindog22]

part of the reason the basement seems so sad is because they don't have mirrors on the columns like upstairs. plus the lack of natural light from the doors

[@JTA1961]

It's normal to feel down in the basement😩😳

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Low ceiling as well. Claustrophobic parking garage feeling to it all.

[@benjaminbeebe6555]

I was in this store the day before it closed for good (10/18/2020), & pretty much everything you recorded was gone. It was a sad farewell to the last remnant of a once-bustling El Con Mall, but only a matter of time. It will definitely be interesting to see what transpires for other JC Penney locations across the U.S.

[@ameliainva]

I think it all went downhill after they discontinued their catalog around 2008.

[@laureljade3476]

I miss their catalog so much Ron Johnson has a lot to do with it.

[@DavidAbyssal]

Yeah, 2009...

[@rwdplz1]

There's still a lot of inventory because with all the store closings, shoppers have figured out "The Game" -Announce store closing, advertise markdowns, mark down merchandise by almost nothing -Continue t advertise better sale prices while marking down merchandise by little or nothing until store closes -Store closes, merchandise is sold to wholesalers or sent back to parent company if chain still exists -Merchandise sold to wholesalers now available online at DECENT markdowns

[@MrNeptunebob]

Another reason for so much inventory is because nobody wants JCPenney merchandise, they don't even want to shop lift the merchandise!

[@JTA1961]

@@MrNeptunebob in county jail TVcourt & Judge says that you've been charged with shoplifting at JC pennys... EVERYONE moves away 😕

[@Metalthrashingnate]

This delightful little channel helps get me through even my worst nights at work.

[@sharksfever24]

It’s so sad seeing all of these stores closing

[@austinnelson8454]

"Try to destroy me and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine" -JC penny- probably

[@American-Motors-Corporation]

Lol not hardly, fake sales and overpriced crap! in fact the same Chinese crap that you could go to Walmart and buy for fraction of price! Brand names! yeah so what so they sowed a different label on if it's literally the same materials and it was still made in the very factory making what you would call the knock off brands! see kids that's actually how manufacturing works!

[@ArloTheSilver]

I work at a Macy’s Warehouse. Peak season is coming up and they’re hiring a lot of people but there hasn’t even been enough work to keep the core people busy, let alone train the new people. It’s been on a decline for years, despite what they’ve been trying to make it seem otherwise. I give Macy’s one more year, generously, before they start shutting things down.

[@drewk1514]

Macy screwed up by taking over the competition and trying to pass off schlock at high prces.

[@jefferypardue7509]

Macy's and Nordstrom's and similar department stores have super inflated high prices. You can go into one of these stores and find a pair of jeans for over $100 maybe even $175 and a coat for $600. People in large cities today can't afford a lot of money like that when places like New York City cost like $13,000 a month rent or Seattle at $4,000. It's not like in the old days when $50 could buy you a decent outfit. A lot of it has to do with artsy fartsy brand names and their over-inflated ego and the fact that they were quote" fashion houses that are in runway catwalks in European cities and New York City fashion shows. if you want the best deals you always have to wait until the very end of the season when they discount the clothes on last minute markdowns when you get bargain basement prices like a $5 shirt. The thrift stores sometimes have good decent clothes that are gently worn or brand new because someone received the wrong size or whatever. A lot of North America is low income or moderate income with the high inflation. Also a lot of people buy secondhand or firsthand new with tags online from places like Amazon and eBay and other auctions dating sites for clothes and merchandising.

[@ArloTheSilver]

@@jefferypardue7509 It also doesn’t help that almost all of their clothes are ugly as hell or very clearly aimed at older folks. Most of the clothes are either ugly old lady clothes, baby clothes and shoes, or very basic looking stuff that has no reason to be as expensive as it is. We have a Home department as well that sells appliances and I’m certain that’s the only part of the building that consistently has work

[@peacefuldaizy5717]

Same at Sears. They are sending people home due to lack of sales, yet they are hiring people. I don't get it.

[@MrNeptunebob]

@@ArloTheSilver That's right. When the shop lifters don't want the clothes, you have a real fashion problem!

[@brucecollins7424]

Thanks for showing that. My teenage years were spent in Tucson in the 80s, I live in Sunnyvale CA now. I remember seeing Revenge of the Jedi at midnight at the movie theater there at El Con and I remember the Woolworth's that had the little diner in it. I think one of their anchor stores back then was Goldwater's but I could be wrong. I remember they had a nice record/ tape store too. Thanks again! Enjoy your channel.

[@RemnantCult]

The JC Penny in my town is still full and appears healthy. They were one of the lucky ones which makes me happy since I used to shop at JC Penny all the time with my mom for clothes back in the day.

[@luiysia]

ditto, tho our mall is doing very well so the jcp can feed off the foot traffic from that

[@theannoyedmrfloyd3998]

Why have Sears and JC Penney struggled? Changing buying patterns? The appeal of cheaper product at stores like Walmart? Sears and JC Penney were mid level middle class stores for those who had some money. If the product quality didn't change, it would be worth buying there. Dillard's and Macy's are upper class upper end stores. That's where you get pricey holiday gifts. Malls used to be the place where shopping was a fun adventure and quality reigned. Now we have Walmart and the infinite Amazon mail order delivering to your door. JC Penney is going to have to do online sales really well and hit where those entities can't. Sears and JC Penney and Montgomery Wards is where my grandparents shopped.

[@Laudanum-gq3bl]

Macy’s used to be upper-middle-class (we went there during my childhood in the 1970s), but it hasn’t been for a while. The quality of the clothing has dropped hugely in the past 15 years. Now it’s snooty Target.

[@Greenwickpress]

Sears messed up around their 'softer side of Sears' era. JC Penney changed how their sales worked in a way that drove customers away, and they never recovered. (It seems like a lot of other department stores benefitted by JC Penney doing that first, so they knew not to repeat the mistake.) In general, a lot of these companies were making bad decisions that made them decline for decades (not adapting to change, building too many stores). By the time they realized internet commerce was a thing they needed to be on board with, whatever they tried ended up being outdated and just really not enough to save them.

[@Greenwickpress]

@@Laudanum-gq3bl They have been trying to go into the cheaper clothing market while also still trying to be high end. It seems like their clothing departments haven't changed since the 90s, right down to the clothes on the racks.

[@OriginalBongoliath]

People don't have the disposable income anymore like in previous times to spend at places like Sears or a JCPenney. Blame the economic order running the world for destroying the middle class to enrich themselves and pushing everyone to be peasants.

[@josepharmstrong1531]

How to die (Brick store edition): 1. Don't have an easily accessible online store 2. Don't put any time/money upgrading everything every 3-4 years. 3. Get aquired by an investor group.

[@dyveira]

Geez, it's like I went back to Zellers in 1995. It feels like a time machine.

[@JusaWanderer]

I think I found your channel back in in 2018 and watched quite a few of your older videos at the time. One video being this JC Penny. It's kind of surreal because I ended up moving to Tucson for about a year and remembered that video. So I was like, I need to checkout that back area with all the graffiti art and drawings. Saw it about three time, one being not that long ago in March before everything went crazy. It's wild that it's only been a few months since moving closer to family due to personal issues but it really wasn't that long ago.

[@KDXkid200]

Dan Mason is a Vaporwave legend. "Miami Virtual" and "Miami Virtual 2.0" are perfect.

[@bladerunner752]

I believe that JCPenny used to have a cafeteria back in the late 70s early 80s. Some locations back in California did that I remember. I think those double doors as you exited the building at the end was where it used to be. Kmart and Woolworth had these too it was a staple of many department stores back in their heyday

[@Sula_Mareska]

The decent selection of stock at near-closure isn't just a one off thing. My friend had went to one that was on its last day open, and was able to try several dresses for prom, and was able to get one. She said there was an odd amount of stock left, and was surprised that that much was left

[@mrlukeplease]

I used to work at JCP HQ in Plano, Texas (and that building alone would give you fodder for half a dozen videos). It is huge. The company ended up doing a sale/leaseback and ended up occupying only a quarter of their former footprint. I have no idea what they’re doing for office space now, I heard that almost everyone had to work from home for a while. Quite a steep fall from my first stint at the company, when they owned a huge skyscraper in Manhattan. In my opinion, the company’s demise can be blamed on mediocre management. They moved too slow and missed critical market changes, like most of their competitors. But it’s sad to see an era end.

[@TheBigGSN5]

Clothing is so artificially priced.

[@kimberlyoldschool]

Agreed. You see how quickly stuff goes to outlet & how cheap it is there and you realize, never buy anything full-price if you can avoid it.

[@MrNeptunebob]

At JCPenney, it's mostly because they had to pay all those managers who don't even know what a clothes hanger is for.

[@nslouka90]

an Arizona brand t shirt has a retail price of $45 dollars, nobody will pay that much for store brand nor has it ever been that much, they’re always on sale.

[@LisaGemini]

My former manager at JCP once told us they don't make money off the clothes, they make it from credit card payments. And sadly, JCP sold its card business in 1998, the beginning of the end. Ron Johnson just put the final nail in the coffin.

[@drdrew3]

@@LisaGemini Clothes at retail are typically marked up 100% from wholesale. Credit card rates are only 2-3%. Your manager had no clue how his employer made money. Not surprising actually

[@obryan240]

My mom and grandma used to drag me through the local j pennies when I was a kid in the 80s. Used to be crowded then. Ghost town now.

[@rjjm88]

I loved JC Penny. My local one closed. They had the BEST selection of Men's big and tall stuff, and all of it was better quality than the crap I get on Amazon. :(

[@jhey5639]

omg 17 mins ago earliest I ever arrived YAYYY! Also OMG happy if JC Penny is saved... once I can get to the US from Australia I wana visit 🤓

[@greatvalue2448]

JCPenny is SOL, they’re buying time but the problem is still that people our age usually don’t go there because they have nothing to offer. I can get better stuff at Target or online without dealing with JCP’s dumb coupons and “shop at 235pm on Wednesdays to save 10%” type promotions. It’s sad that will lose their jobs but JCP just didn’t keep up with the times.

[@elizabethspecht9585]

Well some of us like jcpenney & not liking to shop on Amazon or on line shopping. Uuuuggghhh i want to see the item i am purchasing & i like to try my clothes on..as well as going to the store

[@jeee1074]

If the deal goes through, I would not be surprised to see more stores closed off in early 2021. I went to one of the few remaining small town JCPenney stores recently and it had a good amount of customer traffic. The liquidations have been going very slow lately. Stein Mart, Stage stores, and JCPenney sales were all going on at the same time. When you throw the Sears, Pier 1, Tuesday Morning, and several other liquidation sales already in 2020, people are tapped out.

[@andyschrack4466]

Pier Park, Panama City Beach FL, JCPENNEY is still rolling on. Maybe needs some updating but they keep it nice, organized, and clean. Definitely doesn't look like it's closing, so probably one of the 650 saved stores.

[@CJolieTV]

I just found this channel and love it already 😁

[@DAatDA]

Ron Johnson killed JCPenney. They were Kohls before Kohls, but decided to go a different route. Its probably too late to reverse course.

[@elizabethspecht9585]

I believe jcpenney quality on clothes,shoes much better than kohls as well as linens, towels, blankets

[@Lizzieann31]

I think you are spot on. The "low pricing" policy with no sales was a killer for women shopping there who like sales!

[@DAatDA]

@@elizabethspecht9585 certainly entitled to your opinion

[@Qce-i6d]

Personally I grew up seeing jcpenny as a dying store. But I'm decently optimistic about the attempted rebrand of Penneys stores. Reminds me of how Barnes and Noble was depressing and crowded, but now that a new guy bought it out, he has been upgrading some stores. I went into one the other day and its fantastic. Even the clearance racks are well organized.

[@carlyjae22]

You should do the Sunvalley Mall in Concord, CA!! It’s half new looking and half original stuff. There’s tons of pictures available of the original mall, and there’s a small airport next door and in the 80’s a plane literally crashed into it. It’s a fascinating placr

[@-NateTheGreat]

The JCPenny by me was built in 1971 and is going strong in the only surviving mall in the region. All original outside also.

[@andreadiamond7115]

When JC Penny went drastically away from coupons.....it was the start of the end here in Philly area and likely all over. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

[@AmbientWalking]

That was a really great journey you just took us on! I love it! More please! Thanks so very much! Looking forward!

[@mwg500]

Part of the reason nobody lifted a finger to help save Sears is due to Eddie Lampert being a jackass that nobody wants to deal with. As for JCPenney, they are probably screwed unless Walmart, Target or Amazon buy them out to turn into some sort of overflow store or something. Those three names basically run U.S. retail now and Walmart/Target probably aren't interested in more real estate or moving stores. Amazon has little use for physical retail. And other retailers are in enough trouble already on their own or don't really sync with JCP as to what kind of products they deal in.

[@ddrhazy]

Not going to happen. Walmart is already cannibalizing itself and we may soon see Walmart closing stores that are too close to other Walmarts. Target is barely going to survive this economy after the pandemic is over and Amazon has no incentive to save any retailer.

[@ddrhazy]

@Cali SocReject There are JC Penney brands that people actively seek? News to me.

[@juggernautjay307]

i agree with this whole comment

[@pokerdealer2003]

My mall is huge and has been dying for 30 years but somehow it’s still the popular hang out for the youngins and they still pack the parking lot even though all the stores are gone.

[@silntwaves]

I can remember going to JCP for back to school clothes around 2005-2012... but after that people didn't really shop in department stores for school clothes. It was just easier to go to Marshall's or ross or something... and cheaper and more updated clothes. Even back then JCP had older looking clothes than the time period.

[@drewconway7135]

You say it’s a gamble for mall operators to buy JCP, but IMO it’s also a big gamble to let another anchor store slide into bankruptcy, accelerating the decline of malls.

[@ottav69]

The one in my town just closed its doors earlier this week. Sucks too, it was the last decent place around to get clothes, now I have to either drive to the city and buy clothes at the mall or buy clothes from Wal-Mart and Dollar General.

[@jefferypardue7509]

I wouldn't recommend Walmart or the dollar general due to low quality merchandising that won't handle 30 or 40 years of wear and tear nor 15 years. Some merchandising in the clothing retail don't even last several months of normal wear and tear or an accidental stitching pull.

[@Xtragicfever]

You buy clothing from Wal-Mart, Dollar General and JC Penney? You clearly don't care about quality or fashion.

[@Xtragicfever]

@@jefferypardue7509 Quality costs more but it will last for a long time. If you know anything about fashion you'll know what styles never get old or look dated in 12- months.

[@jefferypardue7509]

@@Xtragicfever I wear clothes that I had 10 - 15 years ago. I even have clothes I got from Kmart before the local Kmarts closed in Washington state.

[@Xtragicfever]

@M Harris By big you mean obese?

[@MsAngrybutterfly]

There's a JCPenny at Seremonte in Daly City that got the "Mini Shops" makeover a few years back. It was so impressive I decided to buy $100 worth of JCPenny stock. I am glad I only spent $100, because it's literally only worth 83 cents now. It's too bad they weren't able to do it to more stores, because I think it could have turned them around, the makeover looked kind of like Hudson's Bay from the 90's which I always liked. I'm rooting for Penny's based on my local one getting the makeover, but I'm not holding my breath.

[@rolfathan]

Every mall I've seen that used a Target as an anchor store seems to do pretty well. I don't get why they feel the need to save the dying brands, rather than just redefine what the anchors are.Even opening a NEW chain of something similar to Sears, JC Penny's, and Macy's could be a new idea. New layouts, new merchandise, something new could draw people in. I roll my eyes when I see another JC Penny's, I just don't like them. But if there was some anchor store called "Joel's" or some random name, and you went in and it was like a JC Penny's but with a better (more competitively priced) electronics section, and a big outdoors section (think like a small REI inside of a department store) that would get my attention.

[@d.b.9101]

Our JC Penny just closed last Sunday. Everything was 90% off. The store was jam packed.i was in line and there were about 40-50 people in front of me. A one hour wait. This was my favorite store. I felt our Penny’s was very modern. Also there was a lot of merchandise still there on the last day. I’m really sad. I wonder what they due with everything that is left.

[@futureperfectable]

Looks like you were there about the last time I was. As a born northeasterner I loved just hanging out in this basement in summer to cool off before going to the movies. Hit me up next time you're in town. Could be fun to chill

[@stevelesher1690]

Regarding El Con itself there may be some confusion. The video mentions that El Con was built in 1960 but I'm not sure its clear that the J. C. Penney was not. It was built about ten years later as part of a major mall expansion. The video says that the area shown at about 1:14 was a garden center; a commenter says it was a breezeway for the mall. For most of its history, at least, it was a garden center -- built as part of Penney's, not connected directly to the mall -- but my memory is that the store did not at first use the area as such. El Con "mall" doesn't really exist any more; except for a few anchor-store spaces it was torn down in two or three phases spaced years apart, replaced mostly by freestanding buildings. There is a Wikipedia article but for the pre-2000 era the best that can be said for it is that somebody tried hard but had to rely on people who apparently hadn't. (How do I know? When El Con was new I was just old enough that my mom let me ride my bike there; when I went to work my office was next door; when I retired my office was six blocks away.)

[@CaptTerrific]

10:59 - Eddie wasn't interested in a buyout for Sears :)

[@ccateni28]

Eddie was also an idiot...

[@animeshock2006]

@@ccateni28 nah literally he wanted seara to go down so that his other companies could get the porperties for pennies on the dollar and get money by selling off their iconic branda such as craftsman and kenmore

[@ccateni28]

@@animeshock2006 he still loses as the money has to go to everyone else before himself.

[@razz4taz]

There's still stock because no one goes shopping anymore. They buy online. This store looks the same as the store in my town Ames,IA. It's never really been revamped. My store doesn't have any other floors. I want some of the shelves!

[@mastersingleton]

JCPenny is a dying breed sadly and with the COVID-19 situation it's the final nail in the coffin for JCPenny. Even with the sale of JCPenny to new buyers I think it won't last long as right after COVID-19 is a major economic depression; so therefore less people would be able to afford on luxurious goods.

[@MrDan708]

There was a JC Penney in the nearby Fairgrounds Square Mall, North of Reading, PA for many years, but it was eventually replaced by a Limerick Furniture. That spot was the first part of the Fairgrounds that was demolished.

[@kaise5315]

idk if this’ll get seen but it would be really cool if you would check out the Outlets at Anthem! It’s an outlet mall that was only built 20 years ago but is already showing major signs of dying despite it being one of the only things to do in Anthem. They keep the big box stores on the outside to distract from the fact that almost all the storefronts in the inner parts of the mall are completely empty and have been for a while now. The parking lot is huge and sprawling but there is almost no cars there. Weirdly, they tore down a lot of storefronts to make more parking space. The most attention it draws all year is the “tallest christmas tree” that has shrunk from 115 ft to 80 ft and a tiny Santa meet and greet. Highlights include the weird modern art piece of a playground, 3 different fountains, and the biggest Bath and Body Works I have ever set foot in. The food court has 4 restaurants despite having room for 6 tenants and is very fancy with barely anyone inside. Fun fact: A lot of people come here with their kids when they’re learning to drive bc it’s so empty!

[@7JANEWAY]

I can’t help but think that whoever prints and sells the various “store closing”:and “everything must go” signs must be making a killing with all of the stores and malls closings!!! But seriously, watching the former Big 3 retailers- Wards, Sears and Penney’s-all die off is tragically sad and also the absolute end of the great retail era for brick and mortar stores. Yes, there are Mom and Pops stores still open (not to mention the big box stores like Walmart and Target), but the classic era where you went to one of these stores for EVERYTHING is now tragically long gone. I will continue to say that it’s far too easy to blame the internet for causing this to happen. I believe it’s much more a societal shift in consumer shopping habits that is the real culprit. Why would you go to those stores, when at Walmart or Target, you can get the same things the classic 3 carry at a lower price, and be able to grocery shop there as well, eliminating any need to go somewhere else (as one example)? The fact that the classic 3 didn’t keep up with modern trends in retailing and the societal shift is what I believe is the real culprit. Their retail style worked well for close to a 100 years, but things and society moved on. THEN add the internet, and then you can see it was no more than the final nail in the coffin for these stores. Good video, keep it up!!!😋😋😋

[@JEGFL85]

Do you think people would buy groceries at JC Penny? Kmart tried but it was already too far gone. It would help being closer to residential areas but JC Penny is usually in malls.

[@7JANEWAY]

JEGFL85 Read my comment again. I clearly state that groceries were one example of the societal shift in consumer shopping habits. Nowhere do I state or insinuate that groceries were the only reason for the death of Penney’s. It’s true that Penney’s stores are in the malls. And it’s just as true that as malls are going to the wayside, Penney’s like all other retailers in the malls are going to be affected as well. And our changing world is to blame....

[@JEGFL85]

@@7JANEWAY I never claimed you said anything. Do you think people would be willing to buy groceries from mall stores like Jc Penny or Sears as a way to increase foot traffic? If they dont change something soon these stores will no longer be in business. If they had a business plan to move out of malls and more into shopping centers would probably help.

[@7JANEWAY]

JEGFL85 I agree they need to change. It was not clear in your original post that you were only asking a question.

[@SenileOtaku]

@@7JANEWAY But adding the grocery section to Target ruined them. At one time they were a decent place to shop at, with a really good selection of product. Now the grocery section only gives you maybe half of what you need to shop for (no vegetable, deli or meat sections), plus they've added so may fancy Branded and "celebrity" displays, using up almost 1/4 to 1/3 of the remaining retail space. All that means they have less and less space for actual product. I'm not going to the store to gawk at the big displays that take up what used to be two aisles each of what used to be shelving, I'm going there to buy something. If the stores can't be bothered to actually stock anything, I have to go elsewhere, or maybe find something online. Gotta say one positive thing about that though. Since none of the stores bother to carry actual physical product, I don't spend money (and I'm not that thrilled with buying from Amazon).

[@sydandtheothers]

With your awareness and knowledge of the state of retail, struggling businesses like this should really consider bringing you on as a consultant.

[@JoeMotionVideos82]

The last time I was at Alcon Mall, was in 2000, it was doing great then.....like most malls. I was at Arrowhead Town Center last week. JCP is still going strong.

[@williamnoll7935]

Tucson economy (outside of the foothills or UofA campus) is crap. Their PD still runs paint-peeling rusted (in Tucson?) Crown Vics.

[@matteng1448]

Must be old as hell if they actually have rust.

[@JTA1961]

You haven't been anywhere if you haven't been to Pima County Jail in the back seat of a TPD crown vic.🚨😂🔒

[@funecheeseofficial3576]

My local JCPenny at the Foothills Mall in Maryville TN closed its doors recently

[@davis6123]

There was a liquidating JCPenney near me in Indianapolis. I went with five days remaining and they had plenty of merchandise left. My bet is that the next round of closures done by the liquidating company for another retailer will have the remaining product.

[@allnight4967]

To answer your question. No, the visuals with graphics on them weren't for sale. We weren't allowed to sell them due to ongoing agreements with agencies that procured them. Same thing with branded fixtures. It might be just a store to store thing from too much inventory. We kinda down to our last few racks of clothes five days out.

[@royquitter]

Come back here in nine days with a $5, and you could go on a shopping spree.

[@MsGail61]

The basement second floor and salon reminds me of my local JCP in Altamonte Springs, FL. Fortunately both it and the mall are surviving.

[@SynchroSk8]

So glad you got back to this one!

[@gordontaylor2815]

I think the idea of the "kick-out clause" as used in commercial retail is the foundational reason for the big mall owners trying to save JCPenney. In legal terms, a "kick-out clause" is a way for a landlord or tenant to legally break a lease if certain events occur. I've heard that when it comes to malls the leases for smaller spaces have "kick-out clauses" which allow the tenant to break lease (and thus shut down their mall location) if certain sales thresholds aren't reached or an anchor tenant leaves the mall (which generally leads to the same end result). Because of these "kick-out clauses", losing an anchor in a mall inevitably leads to a domino effect of smaller stores leaving as well. Keeping JCPenney alive, supposedly, is to prevent that domino effect that would devastate a mall following its departure.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Good point!

[@ZeusTheIrritable]

Watching this was like going back in time to the early 1990's. Fascinating.

[@WhittyPics]

It looks like that Simon deal will go through. It may save JCP for a while. I heard the last few Sears that are left will be closed by the end of the year. Simon is doing better than most mall operators. I think it all depends on what ever changes Simon makes to the business model. They won't make it under the same business model

[@WhittyPics]

I wonder if all the virus scare is hurting these closeout sales?

[@CommanderEllisWard]

@@WhittyPics I think its pretty clear that the panicdemic is hurting the liquidation of the clothing. Think about it. Its ALL SALES FINAL (you won't be returning anything) and you can't try anything on because the change rooms are closed. Places like Kohl's are giving you 180 days to return clothing since the change rooms are closed. It's just not worth it even at 90% off.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

@@WhittyPics 'rona is just one in a pile. The US is going through the worst crisis since 1929.

[@Xtragicfever]

@@DinnerForkTongue Being a little hyperbolic there.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

@@Xtragicfever I wish I was. Really, check the numbers. It is for sure worse than 29, the difference is that there's no press outcry about it.

[@sergiomoreno7128]

I worked at this location from 2015-2019 it was so sad to see it close. I also closed the christown spectrum location in Phoenix down it was a very sad process!

[@TwiigssGames]

Well, there's a JC Penney that just closed at our local mall, I think it was sometime last week. The black tarp that is hanging, is where Sephora is. It was the same way at my JC Penney. Sephora and Penney's ended their contract, and that's why the black tarp stuff is hanging. As far as, a lot of stock left, I don't know. I went in to JCP once they reopened and bought two brand new pair of Arizona flex jeans. I just wanted regular style, but literally all they had of Arizona was Flex. So that was the last time I went in. But JCP will probably end up closing all their stores I would imagine. So sad seeing these long time stores closing. I remember going to Sears and Montgomery Ward and Caldor, Ames, Hills, K-Mart Value-City, McCrory's, just so many good stores, gone. Montgomery Ward is actually online and only known as Wards.com. I heard Kay-Bee toy stores went online as well, but last time I looked for it, I couldn't find anything. I think what needs to happen is, take all of those stores, say JCPenney, K-Mart, Sears, etc. and lump them all together in one huge store, or combine all the brands together and make something new out of that.

[@Optopolis]

That's what happened to Sephora at the JCP in Fort Collins CO before the JCP itself also closed. I find it interesting how they only closed some of the JCP Sephoras. Cheyenne WY JCP's Sephora, for example, is still open. I wonder how they decided on which Sephora's would close.

[@FLtrailblazer]

Interesting that same company that purchased penny’s has a big outdoor outer mall down the road from me. I enjoyed the video!

[@twiggyjali]

i LOVE the shot riding the escalator

[@gilligancharliebrown399]

JCPenney was our goto for our higher end gift and appeal purchases. Pre-online shopping and ordering days; we would avidly use their catalogs and old school phone in or mail in order to pick up at store or have home delivery of merchandise. Sadly, I believe JCPenney may continue only as a short live online merchant as a proxy for another larger and more resilient distributor. An inevitable trend I do not relish.

[@andS7]

Great music choice! That that intro song

[@PepperTreeVilla]

Like you, Doug and I were shocked at the amount of stock left in that JCPenney location. As always, well done, Erick.

[@LisaGemini]

As someone who buys all her clothes and towels and lots of other items at JCP, I'm thrilled that things are looking up. I think they CAN survive because of their website. I often buy things there and the service is perfect. I've actually been praying for their survival. I don't appreciate all the comparisons with Sears, which let itself become a dinosaur just with its ancient cash registers. The two stores have little in common. I'd say JCP has a 50 percent chance of surviving and I'm elated that this new company is taking a chance on a stellar brand that's provided me with many years of service and pleasure.

[@tichdaddy1]

Great video! I always liked JCP. I remember back in the day the JCP at the Edison Mall in Ft Myers FL even had an automotive service center. Looks like this one in Phoenix could be the new home of another Spirit Halloween store tho.. lol.

[@79blackout]

ive been working at jcpenneys as a hairstylist for 4 years and even im surprised we lasted this long. some of the stylists here have been working for 30 years+ and they were almost sure we were done for

[@walteracevedo5105]

I was working in a closing JCPENNEY when my other job got hit hard by the 2020 nonsense. Long story short, most of the clothes didn't sell until the last two days. And even then, those clothes were bought by middle eastern and hispanic store owners.

[@midnightbutter6965]

Please let us know what happens to this building if you ever figure it out

[@gracecollins7001]

I worked at a JCP that went bankrupt and my supervisors seemed to think we were selling stuff quickly, but that was mostly the small kitchen appliances and towels and what-not. The clothes were leftover quite a bit until our last day. We just had too much. After being closed for a couple months because of covid, they just couldn’t catch back up to sell stuff. Actually, when we first started the liquidation sales, we weren’t that busy until the sales went to like 70%, people would come in and ask when our sales were going to get better because even at 50% off people still thought stuff was too expensive.

[@dandeliondreams7851]

I used to love JC Penny's because they had such a great petites department. It's VERY difficult to find a good petites department, especially for professional clothing. JCP was fantastic. It had professional, casual, sleepwear--EVERYthing in petite sizes, without being too expensive. But then they changed their strategy. They cut their floor space for the petites department by about 80%, and turned it over to plus sizes. Great if you're a plus size, (head over if you are!!) but really lousy if you wear petites.Still haven't found a good replacement. Any ladies out there have any suggestions (other than Ann Taylor's)? Thanks!

[@tripsquared_greenworks]

Should try the mills mall in st.louis. it has a NASCAR go carts and st.louis blues ice rink. That mall is so empty except for some church and food court.

[@arbutuswatcher]

Since Portrait Innovations has been closing so many of their locations, we've been going to JCPenney's Portrait Studio the past two years. If they close, I'm not quite sure where we'd go for our Family Christmas Pictures. I wonder if the kids will even get pictures with Santa this year. Between the whole Retail Apocalypse & the Covid-19 situation, life has really been turned on its ear. The remaining malls in our area have turned into ghost towns. The only thing missing is the random blowing tumble weed.

[@wolfgang1097]

The department store basements are pretty creepy, yet really interesting. All of the ones in my area don't have any at all. But my main local hospital does. While the only entrance from outside down there is the ER's, it's still fairly creepy.

[@freyathor3267]

I hope they are saved...it makes me feel sad to see all the department stores of my youth disappearing

[@aaronec91]

My town had a standalone JCPenney located in a strip mall. It was pretty small compared to an actual mall JCP and was always a little weird to me. It closed in 2017 and looked just as outdated.

[@animatsuri]

JC Penny closed down all their stores in Hawaii decades ago so I'm always surprised to hear they are still hanging on in other places.

[@zim8236]

I work at a penney’s in richmond va that is closing and we have around 3 weeks left until we close and it still looks like a normal store. we even somehow received some new merchandise a few days ago. I thought it was just my penney’s that was having a hard time with liquidation but I guess I was wrong

[@Zizumia]

I like the old graffiti you found, it reminds me of when I was in Florida. There was a JCPenny's that was already closed and was ready to be demolished and I found graffiti from 1967!

[@johnkelly7757]

I would like to see Penneys continue for a few more years since I've always found their men's clothing dept. Very useful-- but I don't expect them to still exist in 15 to 20 years. One more business cycle and that's it.

[@Fermifire]

For those who don't know what this means, look up *Liminal Spaces* This is what most of this ambience is.

[@CJolieTV]

There's an abandoned mall in my area, Regency Mall in Augusta, GA and it's terrifying!

[@Terr-Bow]

I have not been there since a few years since I moved out of Tucson. It was 2010ish and the mall itself was still there but abandoned except a weird knife shop.

[@chineseslaves1971]

I hope so. I bought all of my appliances for the home there 3 years ago and haven’t had any problems. At one point they were the only ones with two delivery men for beds and a white glove service. I don’t want my mattress draped over one tiny man flopping all around with black handprints on it. And holiday sales ...excellent. I have to admit though with men not supporting women anymore most department stores fail. The money has to go into housing, and clothes can be had cheaply in many places..of course when it was made here it was much higher quality fabric and tailoring but super pricey. JC Penney is good for alot plus I bought some of their stock knowing much about it. I buy things to make a better home. They have a salon and optical, there’s just so much competition.

[@Lurker1979]

I remember going to a SEARS that had a basement and I agree. Retailers suck at the basement thing and always seem to make them Claustrophobic.

[@KarlieMildraed]

In Edmonton AB Canada, there was a Sears with a basement. Southgate Mall. Sears is dead in Canada.

[@sunspot42]

They make the ceilings too low and don't light the places well. There was an enormous 3-story JC Penny at Park Central Mall in downtown Phoenix years ago that had an massive basement with high ceilings, and it felt very open. The toy department was down there - I used to drag my aunt into it all the time to go shopping when I was a little kid. Good memories! So basements don't have to feel like dungeons if the builders aren't being cheapskates.

[@MeDicen_Rocha]

Interesting to hear that Simon of all businesses took over JCPenney's. Makes me wonder what they have planned, or if they just are trying to save their own anchors so their malls don't start to look empty. Simon must have a solid online sales and store revamp plan of they actually want to survive into the 2020s. If it goes well, it could be the blueprint to save the department stores. Specially Macy's, which I really doubt Simon & Co will let die without a fight.