JCPenney plans to launch outdoor stores-within-a-store at 100 of its approximately 830 department stores on Oct. 4. These shops will sell outdoor apparel and other excursion gear from brands including American Threads, The American Outdoorsman, Hi-Tec, Puma, Nike and Adidas.
JCPenney also plans to launch its own in-house brand for this category, called St. John’s Bay Outdoor. Starting Sept. 12, St. John’s Bay Outdoor will be sold in 600 stores and online, with key merchandise including woven shirts, vests, jackets, waterproof pants and more. The products are designed to allow men to transition from exploring the outdoors to having “a night out in style.”
“Created exclusively for JCPenney by our talented in-house product development and design team, St. John’s Bay Outdoor serves as the centerpiece of our Outdoor Shop and holds a unique place in our private brand portfolio,” said Michelle Wlazlo, Chief Merchant at JCPenney in a statement. “With this expansion, JCPenney is taking part in the nearly $900 billion outdoor recreation industry by offering functional, durable apparel with our customer expectations at the core.”
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The retailer has been struggling in recent months; sales fell 7% in the last quarter and JCPenney shares currently trade under 90 cents. JCPenney has been notified by the New York Stock Exchange that it has six months to regain compliance.
JCPenney has experimented with collaborative approaches in the past, opening pint-sized Sephora shops in its stores and, more recently, partnering with ThredUp to sell secondhand clothing.
