Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
J.C. Penney has started selling products such as bathtubs and power tools online and is expanding its services in some markets with basic bathroom remodels, The Dallas Morning News reports.
The department store forayed into home improvement in 2016 by selling kitchen and laundry appliances in 500 stores and later partnering with Trane to offer heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
J.C. Penney CEO Marvin Ellison says these new ventures “will help [the company] grow and de-emphasize the department store’s dependence on apparel,” according to The Dallas Morning News.
CNBC reports that the installation services will be available through 100 stores and will include “bathroom remodeling, home heating and cooling systems, quick-ship and installed blinds, whole home water solutions, awnings and smart home technology.”
“It’s a $300 billion market that we believe we have the opportunity to pick up some significant market share,” Ellison says in the CNBC coverage.
In addition, J.C. Penney will add 100 more appliance showrooms in 2017 and begin offering more appliance brands, according to the Dallas Business Journal.
The changes follow announcements that the retailer is closing 140 store locations and trimming its workforce by offering early retirement to thousands of employees.
