What Is Going On At JCPenney? | Retail Archaeology

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024

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  • @TheMalmut
    @TheMalmut ปีที่แล้ว +451

    Can you imagine what it must feel like working at a empty/dying store like this? Especially if you're old enough to remember how full of life they used to be.

    • @stormyalice
      @stormyalice ปีที่แล้ว +57

      Was a supervisor at a Kmart the last few years of its life. I'm an 80's baby so I remember it being busy up until the mid 2000's.
      It was so bad the last few years that we closed early during Black Friday because hardly anyone was coming. We'd have 200 customers a day at most on a busy day. I remember when we got the notice our store was closing- it was one of the last sets so we weren't surprised.
      Kmart was slept on because they had quality items. But, it didn't keep up so it didn't surprise me to watch it die. My store hadn't changed in over 20 years which says a lot.

    • @jacquelynn2051
      @jacquelynn2051 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      @@stormyaliceI miss Kmart! I was there with my children about once a month especially during the school year and a couple months before Christmas. I bought my sons 1st bike from there.

    • @jenbentzel1981
      @jenbentzel1981 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      I worked at JCPenney while I was in high school in 1998 for 4 years or more and so remember the place packed and full of customers. Christmas was wonderful!

    • @deborahchesser7375
      @deborahchesser7375 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Man there isn’t a soul in there either, sad.

    • @libertywest5835
      @libertywest5835 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@stormyaliceanother missed store ( ours was one of the last ones to close )

  • @bobrobert1624
    @bobrobert1624 ปีที่แล้ว +310

    I find all of this, incredibly sad. These stores, were such a huge part of my life when I was growing up, harboring so many good memories while shopping (especially school shopping,) and hanging out there. Memories of meeting friends in the electronics department, playing the Atari 2600 display model, with my everyone for *hours* until we were politely asked to leave by security. Has online shopping, improved our lives? At one time, I would have enthusiastically said YES!! Now, I no longer feel that way,as it only serves to increase our feelings of isolation, and loneliness. The stores served as a place to socialize with others, that you otherwise wouldn’t see on a regular basis. Oh well, I could go on for hours, sharing stories of the mall, and department stores, but I’m sure you’ve other things to do….

    • @ThomasDrish
      @ThomasDrish ปีที่แล้ว +20

      No. Talk to me. I feel the same way. It’s incredibly sad to see the state everything is in now. A lot of the stores I grew up knowing no longer exist. Zayre, Sears, Woolworths, even stores like Kmart were alive and well, seems just like yesterday. It’s a different experience to be physically in a store, than to just be pointing and clicking online your items in a cart that doesn’t exist. I get sad too, longing for the shopping experiences we grew up enjoying. I guess we have to look on the bright side…we got to enjoy the experience while it was around. I wouldn’t trade it for anything 😊

    • @chuckinhouston9952
      @chuckinhouston9952 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Everything has a birth, a life, and a death. Adapt or die.

    • @sonyaberry9805
      @sonyaberry9805 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      All the parents who needed a break from their kids & vice versa would go to the mall. The mall always had the best cookies

    • @reneegoetz4727
      @reneegoetz4727 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Sad sad going miss JCPenney. Sad Sears is gone Kmart too why we need to help small business There won’t be any mall in that he future everything online

    • @AngelGrl135
      @AngelGrl135 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Yes, this saddens my little mall rat heart to the core 💔

  • @MajorMechazawa
    @MajorMechazawa ปีที่แล้ว +659

    It’s crazy how JC Penney went from being an omnipresent mall/retail staple to being on it’s way out

    • @nyotauhura7412
      @nyotauhura7412 ปีที่แล้ว +89

      It's another store that catered to the middle class. There's very few middle class jobs left.

    • @cmdraftbrn
      @cmdraftbrn ปีที่แล้ว +41

      thats what happens when you make bone headed decisions. chase after trends. toss your key merchandisers. rely on star power. and change your gimmick.

    • @calendarpage
      @calendarpage ปีที่แล้ว +38

      When my son was a child, we'd go through the Penney's catalog for school clothes. I'd let him pick out what he liked and needed, and then a week or so later, I'd go downtown to pick up the big bags of clothes. He loved opening all his new things. I still order online from Penney's. They have good sales on costume jewelry and women's clothes, and their window treatments are still good quality. There is a Penney's near me, but I live in a smaller town now and the store doesn't have as much as the website, so it's just easier to shop online. I expect that soon most of the stores will be closed, which is too bad.

    • @my3boysonly
      @my3boysonly ปีที่แล้ว +17

      I’m surprised that malls still even exist. I haven’t been to a mall for years, and that was just to see a movie with my kids.

    • @TheRalphie2020
      @TheRalphie2020 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Ikr!😢❤❤❤

  • @comancheviperrrr
    @comancheviperrrr ปีที่แล้ว +201

    You were talking about the lack of employees. I remember back in the day every department and JCPenney‘s had its own checkout counter. Now they have one section back against the wall, but have like three registers. And finding someone in our department now is near impossible. It’s just crazy how that is. Although I do see quite a few people on the first floor of our JCPenney’s when I go. It’s when you go up to the second floor where the kids and the big and tall section for the men’s department is that you find very few people.

    • @TeutonicTribe
      @TeutonicTribe ปีที่แล้ว +8

      A few yrs ago I needed just 1-2 items @ a Penney’s. The store already felt strange, deserted & no salespersons around. There was one clerk at an open register assisting a customer with a complex return & several of us waiting in line for a really long time.
      I finally gave up & left the store w/o purchasing anything. And haven’t been back since.

    • @briangasser973
      @briangasser973 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Part of that is due to low unemployment and higher wages retailers need to pay for staff. Take a look at the size of the self checkout lines in walmart, Costco, BJs... where they did not exist 10 years ago.

    • @kakacoco5
      @kakacoco5 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      The JC Penney’s I used to work at had very little employees. They didn’t want to pay as much as Macys or Dillards so they kept losing employees and wasn’t able to hire more people. They should have just closed our store during the Covid-19 lockdowns. That store ended up being a ghost town with horrible management, employees that did not care and customers who were not interested. Personally speaking, it was one of the worst employers I ever had. They would change my schedule without telling me. The would expect me to do my work as well as my supervisor’s work and the work of other other departments. Nobody that worked there was happy and you could tell that they weren’t happy. They couldn’t even fake it.

    • @lizpotter8123
      @lizpotter8123 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@briangasser973 I stay away from self checkout in solidarity to all retailers that have been put out of business because of them.

    • @lizpotter8123
      @lizpotter8123 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@vp2718 maybe because there are fewer JCPs the company is focusing on those stores. The Penney’s we have are too far for me to visit. Even though I have retirement benefits I don’t drive that far. One was a dump the last time I was there. The other store gave me a rolling rack to bring my catalog return in no one helped. No I won’t go out of my way for them.

  • @gobbletegook
    @gobbletegook ปีที่แล้ว +47

    I remember when JCP had catalog desks in each of their stores...with red phones that you would use to order something out of about 20 catalogs that they had on display. In the 1970's and 1980's, you often had to wait in line for the next one to open up when a customer was done ordering their items. Penney's and Sears catalog centers were the AMAZON of its day...yet they closed them not realizing what they could be

  • @ScuzzyBeta
    @ScuzzyBeta ปีที่แล้ว +63

    2:33 As a retail employee in a kind of kitchy tourist trap, I greatly appreciate your refusal to film employees

  • @DMfilmfan
    @DMfilmfan ปีที่แล้ว +114

    IMO the fatal mistake of JCP was the "no more sales, these are our everyday low prices" policy. I found identical items, identical brand for much less at Macys. Plus Macys had some identical brands & items for sale, so the savings was even greater. Local JCP closed its store and its clearance price for one item was almost ten dollars ($10.00) MORE than Macys regular price for the exact same item.

    • @626jean
      @626jean ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Why do stores do this? The store closing prices at Bed Bath and Beyond were not very good... only 10-20% off. After they closed for good some of the items showed up at Grocery Outlet, where they were finally 50% off!

    • @jennygennie90
      @jennygennie90 ปีที่แล้ว

      Payless tried the same thing before they died

    • @iamjane9628
      @iamjane9628 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      I agree, Ron Johnson killed JC Penney. The "no sales" nonsense; getting rid of their established brands; trying to make the stores look like an Apple store. That man did not know his audience. JC Penney has tried to go back to how they were before Johnson, but they never fully recovered from the damage that man did. I loved that store and still do, but it is a shell of its former self.

    • @jamie1602
      @jamie1602 ปีที่แล้ว

      That would be incorrect because JCP had items that were exclusive to their stores. Macys had major brands you'd find at Nordstrom or Dillards. JCP had in house brands to keep the prices low.
      So I can promise you, you didn't. You just wanted the weird rush of having a paper coupon in hand. You're an idiot who wanted a sale and were easily duped into paying an extra $20 every week so you could pay for ink and paper.
      But you're getting your way. More overhead means no brick and mortar stores because they're too busy satisfying your weird anxieties. Ink and paper add up. Black ink, even when bought in bulk to print your coupons and mailers, cost too much. You weren't content with coupons at the register. You weren't content with coupons on your phone. YOU killed these stores.
      And you're killing Macy's the same way, too.

    • @1rockcrawford
      @1rockcrawford 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@iamjane9628 Ron Johnson did not kill JCP, he made the error of exposing JCP's long standing two-prong tradition: fraudulently inflating prices and then tricking customers into thinking they were getting a deal with those "coupons." Unfortunately, once you're a brand that conditions your customer into fake discounts, you can't revert that behaviour, because then they revolt.
      JCP was already on the decline long before Ron showed up, the real problem even before him, was that Penney's customer base was ageing/dying off, and younger shoppers either didn't know or didn't care about them, a fact which applied to them even after Ron was let go.

  • @hkoizumi3134
    @hkoizumi3134 ปีที่แล้ว +88

    Watching these things being empty makes me feel on a personal level. What I used to do and enjoy are not something people do anymore. I feel as though I was the weird one.

    • @mannymets5687
      @mannymets5687 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thank all of the government subsided billionaire businesses like Walmart, Amazon, Bj's, Sams Club, etc . They have destroyed our middle class, and soon we will not have many choices at all..

    • @floydsemlow8253
      @floydsemlow8253 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Far from weird, it was an erra, one I'm so happy I was apart of😢. Sadly I feel like it's being erased

    • @thomasjones4570
      @thomasjones4570 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      They just shop someplace else. Macy's took a lot of JCPs business from them in my area. Better prices, they even picked up some of the brands JCP stopped carrying. As for malls, they are just not universally popular anymore. Depends on the area. I have 2 near me, 1 north and 1 east that are still very popular and one 5 miles to the Southwest of me that is a ghost town. That area has a lot of stores that are not in malls, but are spread out.

  • @IVR02
    @IVR02 ปีที่แล้ว +65

    My nearest JCPenney is actually in a similar situation to this one, in that it was attached to a mall for many years, but ended up outliving the mall. The mall in question was demolished over a decade ago and replaced with a Costco and a Dick's Sporting Goods, but the JCPenney is still kicking.

    • @keeneboy7700
      @keeneboy7700 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Mine is the last still standing part of the former Colorado shopping behemoth known as Westminster Mall.
      A friend of mine works for the real estate company redeveloping the area. The JCP does OK and makes money, mostly because it's been around since 1987 and is owned by the company. Sephora wanted a stand alone store attached to the JCP there, but that never happened and now probably never will.

  • @SherryBaby1107
    @SherryBaby1107 ปีที่แล้ว +56

    So sad that malls are really no longer such a major part of life…. I remember being a little kid and going shopping with my Mom to the mall was so much fun and going to Pennys was extra special during Christmas! I miss those days…

    • @AMPProf
      @AMPProf 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Mehh

  • @philliplane3891
    @philliplane3891 ปีที่แล้ว +45

    I worked for JCP for five years as a supervisor. The upper leadership of the company are so out of touch with the reality surrounding the retail industry. There is so much they could have done and still could do to save themselves (or at least the new owners can). However with the decline of the American mall and the fact that JCP was bought by companies that own most of the malls in the country, it won't be long before they close for good due to failure to adapt. I'm an MBA and tried reasoning with leaders while I was still working there, but they won't be told and the arrogance will end them.

    • @lindaosika7648
      @lindaosika7648 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      My Dad worked for Sears. Ran into the same problem. He was a salesman and knew what customers wanted. The extra warranty on appliances were something he told the new management the customers did not like and did not want. He was made to feel disloyal because he went against this policy.

    • @catherinesanchez1185
      @catherinesanchez1185 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      I personally think that a lot of these places are being sabotaged on purpose for the value of the land their sitting on. Sell and cash out...these guys don't care about all the jobs that are lost and the blow to the community .

    • @DavidLLambertmobile
      @DavidLLambertmobile 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Good for someone to make a effort BUT the writing is on the wall. Retail & to shop at a location is a relic of the 1990s 1980s 1970s. Seniors and women really made up the big part of most US malls.

    • @aveuch
      @aveuch 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      The leaders at my store are out-of-touch because they’re grossly overpaid vs the average employee working 12 hour a week.

  • @nolan2606
    @nolan2606 ปีที่แล้ว +41

    JCPenney actually announced today they were putting $1 billion into remodeling their stores and revamping their website.

    • @TRJ2241987
      @TRJ2241987 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I've noticed the iconic Holyoke Mass location has been getting a massive overhaul on the 1st floor in the past week or two.....been open since 1979 and still gets heavy traffic. I just got a digital air fryer there it's awesome!

    • @innercityprepper
      @innercityprepper ปีที่แล้ว +8

      as a web developer and project manager with 25+ years of experience, be rest assured that "revamping their website" means closing more stores. The "remodeling" will be minimal at best.

    • @thecottage4493
      @thecottage4493 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The entrance for that Penny's is awesome! The old Sears entrance that went into the tool section was my favorite. It's an interesting diconomy having Target on one end of the mall that represents modern department stores and Penny's on the other end that represents a bygone era.

    • @tippytoes2358
      @tippytoes2358 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      They did a horrible remodel about 20 years ago. It was supposed to attract younger customers only it alienated the older, legacy customers.

    • @janelleg597
      @janelleg597 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Where they getting the 1 billion...

  • @626jean
    @626jean ปีที่แล้ว +35

    Props to the staff for keeping the displays so nice. Everything is so neatly laid out.
    I just remembered... my prom dress was from JC Penney. It was royal blue with lace

    • @lizpotter8123
      @lizpotter8123 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      We had a wonderful evening and bridal section. Of course they took that away and had it only in the catalog. It is really hard to fit from a book.

    • @AMPProf
      @AMPProf 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Lolzz that one was hot af

  • @CombativeMedic
    @CombativeMedic ปีที่แล้ว +44

    Friend of mine works at JCPenney and she's told me not to be surprised if you have a hard time finding an associate. Seems they don't offer their employees a lot of hours, and try to have as few people on as possible -especially the week days. It makes everyone wonder why they still hire on at all, and if they're trying to fail the business because there aren't enough people on the floor to help the customers.

    • @opfla
      @opfla ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I worked at a JCP for 11 years until I quit for a job that paid more. JCP was paying me a whopping $10.20 an hour - after 11 years! I may be loyal but I’m not stupid.

    • @lifeissweet9826
      @lifeissweet9826 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I've gone to a JC Penny's in Round Rock and there are never any associates walking around. Occasionally at the back in the kitchen area there might be a cashier register but mainly you check out the way Kohls does it. And there's way too many clothes crowded into a section.

    • @CombativeMedic
      @CombativeMedic ปีที่แล้ว +5

      ​@@opflaMy friend is actually looking to quit because they failed her evaluation and gave her no raise -but her lazier co-workers got raises, so she was hurt and pissed.
      Right now she's only doing the bare minimum there while she job searches. She said she felt very under appreciated and she's done sticking her neck out. (And boy does that store owe her, because she's busted thieves that would've stolen thousands of dollars, in just a year. Yet a reason they failed her is she didn't sell enough credit cards...when she's a floor associate.) I'm telling you, I don't feel like shopping there after hearing her story. But to each their own.

    • @lizpotter8123
      @lizpotter8123 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      That is true. They only want part time workers so they don’t have to pay benefits ie days off and medical insurance. They try to keep shifts at four hours so they only cover 15 mins off the floor time. If it is slow we would send people home. I at one time loved my retail job. I met many friends over the years. But what happens is one day you wake up and you are the last dinosaur.

  • @cynthiavirissimo457
    @cynthiavirissimo457 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    I shopped this very location today. This was an accurate representative of this 'ghost town` of a retail store. I shop here because it is close to my home. The story is, JC Penney owns the land that this store sits on and that is why they remain standing after all else has been bulldozed for the big makeover. The new outdoor mall was proposed to be ready by 2024, it does not seem to be on schedule. I sure do miss the former PV Mall, the grandkids and I could have an air conditioned walk, have lunch in the food court, ride the train and shop for what we needed that week all while the furnace outside was blasting at 115°+. I guess indoor malls are yesterdays news , even when you reside in the unforgiving desert of Arizona.

  • @mgooey
    @mgooey ปีที่แล้ว +56

    My JCP did a massive remodel of the Home department at the same time they did the construction of the Sephora spaces. The idea at the time was that the Home department would be the start of the major overhaul of the store layouts. Those brightly lit areas were supposed to be sort of like brand shops or seasonally themed areas. They had also planned on having a "test kitchen" area where employees or vendors would do demonstrations of various products, or cook up food samples. Those floors were the best decision of all, they were always so shiny and looked so clean, even when they were filthy! It's sad to see the store so empty, but good to see that the Home remodel still looks pretty great all these many years later!

    • @AMPProf
      @AMPProf 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Omg lolzz

  • @weatheronthe8s895
    @weatheronthe8s895 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    I actually still like to shop at Penney's quite a bit, mainly because they seem to be the best store for carrying things I like in sizes that fit me for an affordable price. A lot of my clothes actually come from my store which is much smaller than this one. I have never been one to like ordering clothes online, so I still enjoy going to stores like Penney's and picking out clothes. I am too picky when it comes to clothes to feel like ordering much online. Plus I like supporting the stores because I'd hate to see places like that shut down because there isn't much to do in my area.

    • @SC-gp7kt
      @SC-gp7kt ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Same!

  • @sfperalta
    @sfperalta ปีที่แล้ว +16

    It's amazing that a nearly-abandoned store can look so neat!

    • @fluorite1965
      @fluorite1965 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Fewer customers kids messing it up.

  • @nealwhaley63
    @nealwhaley63 ปีที่แล้ว +59

    That store looks remarkably recovered (folded, straightened). That means traffic is low considering the lack of employees. P.S. A classic Twilight Zone episode addresses what store mannequins do at night.

    • @mattkennedy6115
      @mattkennedy6115 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I was half expecting some woman to come out and sell him some gold thimbles 😜

    • @starmnsixty1209
      @starmnsixty1209 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      ​@@mattkennedy6115 TZ The After Hours.

    • @enchanted_raven_of_gold_11
      @enchanted_raven_of_gold_11 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I was gonna comment that but saw yours! It’s funny cause I just rewatched this episode the other night!

  • @CoolCatProductions-365
    @CoolCatProductions-365 ปีที่แล้ว +57

    When retail archeology uploads, you know it’s a good day.

  • @nosajdabeno
    @nosajdabeno ปีที่แล้ว +19

    Being a wheelchair user, I’m shocked that the elevator didn’t open up to the lingerie department on the second floor. Every “department” store I’ve ever been in always has the second/top floor elevator next to the lingerie department. It’s usually really helpful if you can’t find the elevator! 😂

    • @Chef_Alpo
      @Chef_Alpo ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Interesting.
      That reminds me of how many grocery stores in Massachusetts have bathrooms very close to (if not right next to) the seafood department.

    • @carsonthorpe6696
      @carsonthorpe6696 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thats funny because the JCP by me does open in the lingerie department lol

  • @Muertenoir
    @Muertenoir ปีที่แล้ว +68

    Our JCPenney stores are all closed now but before they closed they were really disheveled and messy. This store looks so clean and tidy.

    • @markvolpe2305
      @markvolpe2305 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Interesting, all 4 malls around me all still have their JcPenny's open.

    • @manicpepsicola3431
      @manicpepsicola3431 ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@@markvolpe2305our only mall had jc pennys close down

    • @YeshuaKingMessiah
      @YeshuaKingMessiah ปีที่แล้ว

      Tidy becuz there’s no traffic

  • @BiffTannenBTTF
    @BiffTannenBTTF ปีที่แล้ว +86

    I go to this store every few months. The nostalgia is so strong 😊

    • @debrakish9659
      @debrakish9659 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      And how busy does it get? Are there always a few customers nearby when you visit? Anxious to hear your experiences of this store.

    • @MissMTurner
      @MissMTurner ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Make like a tree and get out of here.

    • @BiffTannenBTTF
      @BiffTannenBTTF ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @debrakish9659 Yeah I always see people there. Not crazy but definitely way more than in this video. I usually go on Saturday on Sunday.

    • @BiffTannenBTTF
      @BiffTannenBTTF ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@MissMTurner 👍

    • @GumCow
      @GumCow ปีที่แล้ว

      I visit mine quite frequently. It's still pretty busy there

  • @annmariemarino2003
    @annmariemarino2003 ปีที่แล้ว +40

    So nice to see you again! I’m older than you but I grew up in malls in Western NY and then South Florida. I used to love eating lunch inside Jordan Marsh or Burdines. Great memories!
    Do you remember when there used to be full sit-down restaurants inside the better department stores?

    • @BlueJay6441
      @BlueJay6441 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Yes, I remember the sit-down restaurants. Great memories, going to some of those with my grandparents. Another cool thing I remember from department stores in the 80s was the candy counter. You hardly ever see those anymore!

    • @drewk1514
      @drewk1514 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Macy destroyed the remaining department store restaurants in all the stores they took over. Nordstrom is the only department store company that still has in store eateries.

    • @postmodernrecycler
      @postmodernrecycler ปีที่แล้ว +8

      R.I.P. Burdine's. The Florida Store.

    • @carolperdue7534
      @carolperdue7534 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Yes it used to be a real treat to be able to shop and then have a nice lunch, not just a fast food burger.

    • @626jean
      @626jean ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I remember! Eating in them always felt special. Macy's and Nordstrom for me.
      Tangential: I go to a Target that used to be a Buffum's. There is an I.Magnin which became a Borders for many years and has been vacant/a Halloween Spirit for about as long. There are finally signs of construction on it, no word on what it will be. There used to be so many department store chains.

  • @Bebe.B.
    @Bebe.B. ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I am rooting for JCP to survive. I like shopping there. I think they have good quality store brand clothing for great prices AND they offer some good name brand stuff at competitive price points. I have also shopped for home decor there and found some gems! I will give it to them -they are going down fighting!

    • @jamie1602
      @jamie1602 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      They are present online and their in house brands are still quality. But they're not going to have a comeback. People are addicted to coupons. They were in trouble long before the headlines hit.

  • @mommyquackquack1825
    @mommyquackquack1825 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    So sad to see these stores slowly dying. I miss going shopping browsing at all the new merchandise. Waiting for the giant fall catalogs from JCPenney, Montgomery Ward's, Spiegel's and Sears. Spending hours looking through the pages. Wishing for a special outfit, watch or coat. Maybe new drapes or bedspread. Hoping your husband would notice and surprise you with that special item for wanted. Saving for new dishes or pots and pans. The good old days.

  • @pinballrick6031
    @pinballrick6031 ปีที่แล้ว +31

    I worked at Sears some years ago. I saw a store devoid of customers, lacking inventory and zero budget for maintaining the dirty crumbling store. Eddie Lampert was systematically dismantling the company under the guise of saving it. I saw the writing on the wall and gave notice telling my superiors that the store was going to close and I had my own future to consider. I got the full court press and insistence that the store would not be closing. Unconvinced, I moved on. It did take two more years, but the store closed. Today, out of over 3,500 stores Sears has maybe a dozen left plus a pathetic online presence. J.C. Penny doesn't have Eddie Lampert to contend with, but once again the writing is on the wall.
    You can only wonder why stores like Costco and Walmart keep going strong despite online retail and yet so many others cannot. It seems simple to me. Offer product the customer wants and offer it at a good price. The executives at the top don't really care. They get their paycheck no matter what, bleed the company dry and simply move on to the next buffet when the gravy train ends.

    • @tdelphia1
      @tdelphia1 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      JCP had Ron Johnson, the former Apple Exec, who is the person that went with the whole square deal tags/ideas, stopped having sales, eliminated brands, and gutted the in store salons by FORCING stylists to do free haircuts for schoolkids (whose parents didn’t tip so it was a total lose/lose on the salon front).

    • @darrellburnside9368
      @darrellburnside9368 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I and my Grandmother both worked at Sears before Kmart bought them out. I agree with you thr merger was only an excuse to strip it's assets . They never had a plan to run business, and the fact three Craftsman brand is thriving under the stanley name proves it.

    • @lizpotter8123
      @lizpotter8123 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@tdelphia1 Ron Johnson was a nightmare. I told my store mgr that he would end loosing the company. He took away coupons and sales. He went for a flat low price. You could buy cheaper in other stores. He took away the return policy so that you had to take back everything. He wanted customers to walk around with hand held devices to checkout. I don’t know if he succeeded with that. It was sad not seeing Christmas or back to school commercials because he thought that cheapened the look of the store. At that time Penney’s was over one hundred years old. Why change a successful business to one almost broke?

  • @vickilindberg6336
    @vickilindberg6336 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    JC Penneys demise was outrageous to watch. In MN they went from being a steady, reliable retailer to being totally unwelcoming. They got rid of all customer service & stopped selling all the stuff we relied on them for. It's like they suddenly decided to cater to an all new customer base - that apparently never turned up.

    • @lizpotter8123
      @lizpotter8123 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      🤣🤣🤣🤣

    • @EM-mw2qr
      @EM-mw2qr ปีที่แล้ว

      I applied for a job at the JC Penney hair salon in Trumbull Connecticut many years ago and the lady who interviewed me was a total b!+c#.

  • @Star_sweeper
    @Star_sweeper ปีที่แล้ว +23

    I just walked through the JC Penney at Arrowhead mall in Peoria and it wasn’t packed or anything, but it did have a decent number of people for a Saturday afternoon. So that one seems to be doing okay. The Dillards in that mall was also surprisingly crowded.

    • @colinwahl2509
      @colinwahl2509 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      That JC Penney is one of the busiest in the country for sales.

    • @someusername4129
      @someusername4129 ปีที่แล้ว

      Man... Arrowhead mall is definitely my middle school years

  • @coolmodee01
    @coolmodee01 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I was in a JCPenney last week and what really shocked me was the state of the fitting rooms. They were in terrible condition and just dirty.

  • @jjhendo
    @jjhendo ปีที่แล้ว +8

    It will always look/feel like the 80s/90s in these stores. And always kinda sad. Like watching the past be left behind right before your eyes.

    • @AMPProf
      @AMPProf 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      SNOOCHI BOOCHIESS

  • @DJL78
    @DJL78 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    JCPenney said Thursday it plans to spend more than $1 billion by the end of 2025 in a bid to revive it’s business. The money is going toward remodeling JCPenney stores, upgrading its online shopping site and app, and making its supply network more efficient so that online orders are delivered more quickly. It is a 1 billion self-funded reinvestment.

    • @R32R38
      @R32R38 ปีที่แล้ว

      Given the cost of store renovations and the number of stores than won't buy all that much work per store.

    • @josephtafur
      @josephtafur ปีที่แล้ว

      I doubt this location is gonna be among this billion dollar remodeling plan

    • @DJL78
      @DJL78 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@R32R38 there are roughly 650 left in the chain. Do the math. Even at $1 million per location that is substantial enough to remodel and update significantly while shrinking the store footprint.

  • @NotTheAverageGamerz
    @NotTheAverageGamerz ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I cant remember the last time I was in a JCPenney's store, but i did go in them a fair amount as a kid growing up in the 90's. Its sad though to see stores in this state.

  • @bh2236
    @bh2236 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I really hope they make it, would be a shame to lose another icon from the past.

  • @elaineteut9579
    @elaineteut9579 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    It’s amazing to me that Sears, Younkers (former nice Midwest dept. store, Pier 1, Christopher Banks, so many stores have left our Sioux City mall. It was such a thriving, busy place. You could spend all day there. At the same time, highly expensive stores like Chicos, Von Maur, Dillard stay in business. Is everything suppose to be bought on line? Hate it.

  • @jrwheeler81
    @jrwheeler81 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Holy crap! Those Airwalks! I also used to wear those in middle school and high school in the 90s! I think almost every teenager had at least one pair of those back then! I haven't seen those in about 25 years! The ones in this video are the OG Airwalks from the mid to late 90s! The JCPenney where I live is somehow still open. I actually go to the salon there; however, the store itself is NOTHING like what it once was. Honestly, a majority of their inventory these days is nothing more than overpriced garbage. I looked around for a bit a couple of weeks ago while I was waiting for my haircut appointment, and I couldn't find a single thing that I would buy. The prices were high and the quality was subpar, at best. I remember my parents shopping at JCPenney ALL the time when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s. It was always one of my mom's favorite stores for clothes. She still occasionally shops there from time to time. It really is a sad sight nowadays. Our local JCPenney is so old and run down, although very nostalgic. It was built in the early to mid 1970s. The mall that it's attached to is a total ghost town with hardly any stores left. I honestly don't see how they manage to stay open. It seems like they are headed in the same direction as Sears.

  • @CarlosParedesDI
    @CarlosParedesDI ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I don't know of a movie like night at the museum but with mannequins, but there is the Twilight Zone episode "The After Hours". It might be what you want!

  • @vincentthekeeper2163
    @vincentthekeeper2163 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    How empty that fully stocked store is is soooo creepy. It's not even post apocalyptic its like...Night of the Comet if you remember that. People have just vanished. Thanos didn't even snap them away there would still be people there 😂

    • @bradb7060
      @bradb7060 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Loved that movie! And yeah, definitely getting night of the comet vibes

    • @DeflatingAtheism
      @DeflatingAtheism ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I spotted two human beings in this video, which is more than most of RA's videos!

  • @jenNjuice
    @jenNjuice ปีที่แล้ว +5

    My nana used to model for JCPenney’s back in the 60’s. She also did gift wrapping during the holidays there. As a child of the 80’s and 90’s, I remember always getting my hair and photographs done there. I used to love looking through their holiday magazine that was packed with toys and circling everything I wanted so Santa had an idea of what I wanted lol. I recently went into one a couple of years ago and it was nothing like I grew up in. Even the quality of the clothes went down. So glad you caught this relic of a store on camera!

  • @DavidSchwartzjr
    @DavidSchwartzjr ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I can’t believe you didn’t pick up a pair of Airwalks lol. I ordered a pair from eBay for nostalgia sake and wore them to my 20 year HS reunion with baggy jeans and a band shirt last year. Still wear my Airwalks from time to time. 😎👍

  • @timlarabee1710
    @timlarabee1710 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Gotta hand it to this JC Penney though...it's clean! Could be because there's no traffic to rummage through everything.
    I like how you pointed out the area with optical and all that. This is something I remember with the dept stores. Salon, family photos, gift wrap ..and my favorite, a travel agency that offered great deals at Dilliards.

  • @MattManProductions
    @MattManProductions ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Jc penny or other anchor stores outside of a mall normally buys those stores. So even though it is attached to an old mall, it's actually it's own building. So that's might be why it's still standing

  • @vistatiger7493
    @vistatiger7493 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Those home department remodels with stained concrete floors and brighter lights was the Ron Johnson era at JCP around 10-12 years ago. He really attempted to make JCP look and feel more modern. My JCP has that same entrance with the glass panels on the front. It was built in 1979 so that store must have opened late 70's or early 80's.

    • @kyanche
      @kyanche ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The irony is the dark lighting makes the place look awful, like a dungeon. I think that was a bad mistake.

    • @thisshouldbeentertaining3386
      @thisshouldbeentertaining3386 ปีที่แล้ว

      Ron Johnson was the worst thing to happen to JCPenney. His plan was to try to turn JCPenney into something like Nordstrom overnight. Yes he remolded some stores , But most store's saw little to no renovation's. And he ditched having any and all sales. Stopped the weekly coupons/sales flyer. In favor of having a everyday low price. But that everyday low price was actually higher than the previous MSRP. His plan if it were to succeed needed to be implemented slowly. And would need 10+ year's

    • @tehee-
      @tehee- ปีที่แล้ว

      That escalator must've been something Penneys had left over from the 1960s. It looks super old, along with the round A/C vents. Those are usually found in 1960s funky P locations. I'm definitely thinking this is a early 70s store at least.

  • @CharlieFlemingOriginal
    @CharlieFlemingOriginal ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I don't think department stores are over... I think years of cost cutting after decades of growth is the problem. All stores offering identical products in cities with different needs and tastes. I think the chains got too big, after buying the competition and abandoned the customer base.

  • @davidstrange3932
    @davidstrange3932 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Northwoods Mall in North Charleston, SC is making a major resurgence. Penneys is doing ok there. And pretty much every store was open when I went there last year. New management brought light to the entire mall. Kudos to them. Lots of people walking around and shopping.

  • @markiangooley
    @markiangooley ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I really like J C Penney men’s briefs. I need to stock up before the company vanishes.

    • @j.j.5731
      @j.j.5731 ปีที่แล้ว

      Great point. I love Stafford briefs. It's all I wear. They're the most comfortable underwear.

  • @lillianbarker4292
    @lillianbarker4292 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I was at that same Penny’s a few years ago but it was creepy. The only employee I found was at the entrance serving pickups from online shopping, returns, and in-store purchases. It’s sad because this store and mall was so much fun.

    • @AMPProf
      @AMPProf 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      right 80's horror film .. Be duhhh duhh duhhh ahhhhh.. Nope but lolz

  • @retailexplorationwithdanny8070
    @retailexplorationwithdanny8070 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    My JCPenney in Biloxi, MS opened in 1979. It’s still successful because it’s on a tourist attraction on the beach. It’s located in Edgewater Mall on Beach Blvd in Biloxi, MS

  • @debrakish9659
    @debrakish9659 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    It's so sad seeing the demise of the shopping mall. I loved going to them the most back in the 70s when they first sprang up. Seeing this one reminded me of Dawn of the Dead. Kind of creepy. I did notice two salespeople moving about. Or was it two of those mannequins coming to life? lol

    • @animeshock2006
      @animeshock2006 ปีที่แล้ว

      Unfortunately is a myriad of issues that caused the fall one there being too many malls, two the continual erosion of the middle class , three online shopping especially before the added sales tax during the recession. Four scumbag corporations that buy hard hit malls but fail to do anything with them so they decay ie century 3 mall

  • @rugbyplayer9100
    @rugbyplayer9100 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I highly recommend going to the JCPenney at superstition springs mall! It gives me Sears vibes

  • @SB-ez3dw
    @SB-ez3dw ปีที่แล้ว +17

    My local JCP is an anchor store at a half-empty mall. It might be a bit smaller than this one, but people are shopping and making purchases whenever I stop in.
    I decided two years ago to BECOME a JCP shopper and help keep it alive.
    Edit: It has a hair salon and is hiring stylists, which seems encouraging.

  • @Elmaestrodemusica
    @Elmaestrodemusica ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I think too what has happened is the department store was for a different cultural time in America, it was the time of stay-at-home moms and part of their daily/weekly routine was to go shopping with other stay-at-home moms. I remember my mother and her friends and my aunts spending morning/afternoons downtown, shopping, eating, movies. But those days are gone, and so one day will the department stores be gone .... Sad.

    • @adrianc6534
      @adrianc6534 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Back when a single blue collar job could feed and house a family. Now even with dual income households most people can barely get by.

  • @Samuel-er5bf
    @Samuel-er5bf ปีที่แล้ว +14

    although i’m only 25, these videos make me feel a certain way. I used to hate waiting by the cart waiting for my mom and grandma to finish shopping at JCP then the mall. Now i walk into JCP that looks like this, no employees, no families, it’s just sad. I really like the floor with the bright lighting, sunday’s were my family’s “mall day”.

  • @Sweetie_PieLo
    @Sweetie_PieLo ปีที่แล้ว +1

    It’s a very sad thing to see the malls dying off. I loved malls as a kid and teenager… it was part of childhood really

  • @angieemm
    @angieemm ปีที่แล้ว +7

    This reminds me of a Choose Your Own Adventure type book called Plot Your Own Horror Stories. It was called The Nightmare Store, and the main character is stuck in a department store after closing. Highly recommended. Can you make it out alive?

    • @DarlingNikki2
      @DarlingNikki2 ปีที่แล้ว

      The way this place looks so deserted makes me wonder if someone isn't living in the furniture/bedroom section lol. I could never walk around a store without seeing at least one other person or employee, the vibes are off for sure.

  • @antigrav1302
    @antigrav1302 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    A great example of Liminal Space. That place just seems wrong, out of place and time with nobody around, gives me the creeps just watching..........

  • @Merlynn132
    @Merlynn132 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Department stores have a few things against them.
    1. High prices. Department stores have always been more expensive than cheaper retailers like K-mart,Target,and Wal-mart because they were a "prestige" store. It was "high status" to shop at them. Especially higher end stores like Macy's. As the economy gets worse,it's a status symbol fewer and fewer people can afford. And since you can get anything you want from the internet,all brick and mortar stores have suffered. Because the internet has everything for highly competitive prices and department stores have limited stock and high prices.
    2. Limited inventory. As things have gotten worse,department stores appealed more and more to social status hungry ladies. Meaning more and more "female centered" stock like clothes and make up. Department stores used to have mens departments,appliances,toys,tools. A lot of that stuff is just gone. Replaced with women's clothing and make up and stuff like that. So even though the store is massive,it doesn't have a lot of variety in it's inventory.
    3. Forgot the past. Much like the malls they're attached to,the people running these things seem to have forgotten what made them great in the first place. "You can find it all at the mall". Variety. A lot of dying malls? You see lots of clothing stores and very little else. Department stores? Just large,over priced clothing stores. It's cheap and it sells. Cause everyone needs clothes. But not everyone is shopping for clothes. Sometimes,you just want a place to be. Malls used to have activities and games and stuff. Movie theaters,arcades,live events. All gone. There's really no reason to go to these places anymore. And without the mall to draw people in,what's the point of the deparment store that doesn't sell much of anything? The mall drew people in with it's variety of goods and services and department stores sold the big ticket items smaller stores just didn't have the space for. And that's all gone now.
    It's folly to say "the internet killed brick and mortar". Brick and mortar committed suicide by forgetting what they were. JC Penny and Sears used to do a lot of their business by mail order catalogs,an earlier version of what the internet does now. It's not even "getting with the times",it's "remembering what you used to do". And they just don't now. And they're failing because of it. Wal-mart is doing fine because they're everything department stores used to be. Wide variety of merch,mail order business in the form of a website,and they do it at low prices. They also have groceries. It's not a matter of doing anything new so much as beating them at their own game.
    That's what happened to department stores.

    • @machfront
      @machfront ปีที่แล้ว +1

      A huge “Yes!” to all of these points.
      I’d add that it certainly seems far more people are no longer concerned with big name brands in general, even with clothes.
      I have a 16 year old daughter and neither she nor her friends give a crap about brands, not even when they were younger.
      Gone are the days of folks ‘having to have’ Reeboks or Nikes or Chucks or Vans. Gone are the days of not wanting to be the only person to not own a Coca-Cola shirt, or a real Polo or Tommy H. That at least a few items HAD to come from The Gap….or from Merry-Go-Round or Structure or Hot Topic.
      No one really cares anymore, and I think that’s perfectly fine. Heheh.
      I think now, people only care about brands when it comes to tech, or other specialty items such as sports/sporting gear, tools, etc.
      I’m low-income but I live a few miles away from a quite affluent area (where my daughter and her mother live, and where I work). Believe me, I’m exposed to quite a lot of affluent people and I see them owning, wearing and shopping for generic stuff and/or at Wal-Mart ALL the time. Heheh

    • @Merlynn132
      @Merlynn132 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@machfront Oh,there's plenty of people who still do brands and shit. A lot of (single) women who demand a Gucci bag for tens of thousands of dollars. But then,there's always been people who hated brand names so it's nothing new. Might be more wide spread these days tho. Especially since the "big names" are getting caught doing all kinds of horrible shit and destroying their "good names".

    • @YeshuaKingMessiah
      @YeshuaKingMessiah ปีที่แล้ว

      @@machfrontit’s alive n well
      And still disgusting
      The social status name brand crap
      I’ll keep shopping thrift stores twice a yr and hugging on grandbabies the rest of the time

  • @mooki358
    @mooki358 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Someone told me that JC Penny owns the land that this store is on and that's why it's still here. I don't know how true that is though.

    • @React2Quick
      @React2Quick ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It wouldn't surprise me. It's a similar thing with Sears, they owned the space that their stores operated in vs leasing the space so often when the store went out of business. The space sat empty.

  • @kevinlee7263
    @kevinlee7263 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I lived in the area when PV Mall was built, before that we had to go to Metrocenter for the mall experience. Some friends had an apartment in a brand new complex across the street that was built around the same time and we went there a lot as the mall was being finished up and tenant businesses were still moving in. The exact opposite end of the mall's life, as it's were. I guess 40+ years is a long time for a mall to survive, but it's still sad and kind of hard for me to accept that this part of my life is fading into history.

  • @MrRezillo
    @MrRezillo ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Very sad; Penney's was my favorite department store. Growing up, my mom bought most of my clothes here, and I kept shopping there as an adult. The empty store looked creepy, and every once in a while seeing a live human in the distance made it feel like a ghost story to me; was that a human going around the corner in the distance? A mannequin that came to life? A former employee who committed suicide on the premises and is now haunting it? LOL. Thanks for the vid.

  • @justinanwoye7955
    @justinanwoye7955 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Thank you for bringing the awareness that JC is still standing. I thought every store on Paradise Valley mall was closed.

  • @jonathanharris2656
    @jonathanharris2656 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    It's really sad something from your youth going away. My mother and I went to a very old J.C. Penny's when I was little off of main street in San Jose that they remodeled after a fire. Some customers hade died in the fire when a wall collapsed. I was 8 years old at the time so I don't remember every detail. Thank you so much for the video it was interesting ☺☺

  • @thecottage4493
    @thecottage4493 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    Crazy how Penny's still exists! I always make it a point to go in through the Penny's at my local mall and ride the escalator when I'm there. Both of my local malls have open Penny's but they look terrible, I don't know how they're open. A Penny's distribution plant is about 20 miles from my house and it closed a few years ago. In 5 years Penny's will cease to exist, that's my prediction. A special shout-out to the Eastfield Mall in Springfield, MA which closed in July after 55 years of business! Mallratz for life!

    • @Anonymous-vr9hp
      @Anonymous-vr9hp ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I used to go to the Eastfield mall back in the 90s. I grew up in Holland a little to the east of Springfield. Sad to hear it's gone.

  • @cobaltblue1975
    @cobaltblue1975 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The trouble with sticking around while a dead mall is being demolished is the public thinks you're gone too.

  • @tippytoes2358
    @tippytoes2358 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    If Sephora is moving to Kohls, then it must mean that people aren't shopping JCP since they are located in malls rather than the stand-alone stores, like Kohls. Malls have been becoming creepier. I went to pick up some glasses on a Sunday afternoon only to pass by people loitering outside the door going into the mall. It didn't make for a comfortable entrance.

    • @robloxvids2233
      @robloxvids2233 ปีที่แล้ว

      There is a strip center JCP by my house. Haven't been there for a few years but it was generally somewhat busy. I used to take my son there and play hide and seek in the curtains section, while old ladies with glasses asked if we needed help with anything.

    • @suewolf2
      @suewolf2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I work for JC Penny and my store is a stand alone store. We are doing well.

  • @ladambell
    @ladambell ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I like JC Penney because, as a plus-size man, it's one of the only places I can regularly find big & tall clothes in my size at reasonable prices AND try them on to be sure I like the way they fit.
    Online stores have a lot of size options, but I hate having to wait for things to be delivered only to ship them back when they don't fit me properly.

    • @markrice4808
      @markrice4808 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I like the fact that their men's sizing ran so true! Once I established my sizes, I was able to just pick up Penney's clothes and buy them. Their dress shirts were a well-known secret for quality and fit to people who bought suits at expensive shops and skipped their shirt racks.

  • @GothGirlWorld
    @GothGirlWorld ปีที่แล้ว +4

    This was randomly suggested to me by TH-cam but it's still sad to see so many big stores shutting down. Online shopping has killed the mall experience. 😢 I wonder if this has something to do with Claire's merchandise popping up at Walmart stores?

  • @robofishvselvis
    @robofishvselvis ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Hah, I worked at that JCP optical for a bit, the HVAC was broken there 6-7 years ago as well

  • @Tonimaroni2BeKindToAnimals
    @Tonimaroni2BeKindToAnimals ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I was sad years ago when they took the candy shops out of the department stores. They were usually in the basement and they had all sort of chocolates and stuff, with a candy employee weighing everything out. When my kids were small the candy store in Montgomery wards was closing for good, it was sad but we took advantage of the clearance prices. Unfortunately you cannot go backwards in time, so just cherish the memories.

    • @charlie-obrien
      @charlie-obrien 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      One thing that JC Penny and the mall had over Amazon and all these online retailers, is that when you went there on a Saturday you would always run into a bunch of friends, neighbors and friendly store workers that you came to know.

  • @ashdukesbear9700
    @ashdukesbear9700 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Now I feel like watching the 80s movie Mannequin.

  • @davinp
    @davinp ปีที่แล้ว +3

    The Simon Property Group owns the Mills Corporation Malls such as my Potomac Mills Mall which opened in 1985. The mall has a JCPenney which is only 1 level. Also, Sephora is opening an outlet store in the mall this fall

  • @ivaleeweather
    @ivaleeweather ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Makes me so sad to see these stores like Sears gone and JC Penny on its way out. These have been there as long as I can remember. I’m 87 years old.

  • @nickwilczynski3684
    @nickwilczynski3684 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I always used to shop at JC Penney but I can’t understand how they justify keeping these stores open with barely any business. The one by me still has business but a place like the one in the video looks like they cleared it out specifically for your video!! Crazy times.

  • @GrAYvTrAnE
    @GrAYvTrAnE ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I hate to see retail die. My family and I prioritize shopping retail over online.

  • @razvandobos9759
    @razvandobos9759 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    There’s a department store across the south and in east Texas called Belk. It’s very similar to JC Penny just a little more upscale. And Kohl’s is just a modern JC Penny to me.

    • @glennscotti8891
      @glennscotti8891 ปีที่แล้ว

      Belk was big in va and in severe malls the only anchor left

  • @KyleJWest-vn9kn
    @KyleJWest-vn9kn ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I'm getting some strong K-Mart / Sears vibes from this video.

  • @nancylindsay4255
    @nancylindsay4255 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    The JCP in West Towne Mall in Madison, Wisconsin was similarly bereft of shoppers and staff on my recent visit. I had to search across about half the store to reach the only area of trying-on rooms. Very eerie and sad. The mall is intact, and I suppose still doing a subdued amount of business overall.

  • @SigmaRho2922
    @SigmaRho2922 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Shortly before the WHO declared covid-19 as a pandemic the Macy’s store in Hicksville was closed permanently. The store, which was the flagship store of the Gertz chain, opened in 1956 and was responsible for the construction of Broadway Commons during the 1960s. The store became a Sterns in the early 1980s before being converted to Macy’s in 2001. The only reason the mall is not considered dead at the moment is because of the presence of IKEA, which opened in 1990 and became an anchor of the mall during a construction project between 2002 and 2004. It would not surprise me if the mall gets reduced in size with new TOD replacing a portion of the mall.

  • @wolfgang1097
    @wolfgang1097 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I hope that once the apartment complexes and retail shops are completed, people living in said apartment complexes will be aware of this JCPenney and Costco's existences. If they are, I hope and pray that it saves this JCPenney, even though they obviously haven't done much whatsoever since their bankruptcy and buyout three years ago. To avoid a second bankruptcy, Simon Property Group and JCPenney really need to get their act together and get their retail climate and approach in their brick & mortar stores and online stores straightened out fast, otherwise they're doomed.

  • @CBBC435
    @CBBC435 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I was in highschool in the 70s. The mall was the place to go. The store you're highlighting now would be filled with customers, like Christmas time every day. You would find several employees in practically every department. That customer service counter would gave 4 - 5 employees, on the phone taking customer calls and employees handling customers at the counter.
    It's weird to see this JC Penney now in 2023. The only time it was ever this empty and quiet is before opening or after closing.
    If you thought the 90s in general had a lot if business activity I can tell you the 70s was twice as much.

  • @stevek6293
    @stevek6293 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    They're still a decent place to find cheap clothes but every time I shop there I notice how empty it feels, how few employees there are and how quiet the place is.

  • @Cre80s
    @Cre80s ปีที่แล้ว +1

    We have that pilot location of JCP here in northeast Fort Worth (NorthEast Mall) that has underwent a major overhaul and is testing a bunch of new, modernized ideas, to try to be more relevant, etc. It's very interesting. It obviously looks brand new in there now, but there is far far less merchandise, and seems optimized around not trying to keep a lot of unselling clutter. There's also a lot of "side shops" like even an actual barber shop. And these are service-minded, so it justifies people coming in versus competing with anything that can be obtained online, etc. You should really check it out if you're near this area.

  • @jr2904
    @jr2904 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    You visited the Hemet Valley Mall a few years ago, before the Sears died I think. Now the only old school anchor the mall has left is the JCPENNEY, crazy how it is still going here in Hemet. The store has been here since at least the 1930s though, before the "mall"(Hemet mall is basically a big hallway)was built it was in downtown. Somehow they have survived the death of our downtown and the mall. I think the surviving senior population is keeping the local store alive.

  • @ShannonsBibleStudy
    @ShannonsBibleStudy ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I love JC Penney. They are the best!

  • @Rebjacjul
    @Rebjacjul ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Ugh,it makes me so sad to see that these stores have closed over the years. I have such warm memories of mall trips during my teens in the 90’s. It was THE place to be on the weekends. I think the first one I remember shutting down was Mervyns and I was so sad to see it go. And even though malls still exist, it’s definitely not the same. A lot of stores look like they’re fillers and also some empty spots. I guess change is hard at times😒

  • @AJ82778
    @AJ82778 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    My late grandmother loved this location. When my sister and I would come over to visit, she'd always take us to the PV Mall JCP to get new clothes. So sad to see all of these old businesses going away.

  • @bobina05
    @bobina05 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    I'm surprised at how well stocked it appears. You mentioned the elevators in older dept. stores being neglected but I think the bathrooms are usually even worse.
    It's still so sad how all these dept. stores have lost their appeal. I was a kid in the 70s/80s and Sears, JCPenney's and Montgomery Wards were where everyone shopped. The stores were always busy but especially hectic on the weekends and holidays.
    I like to jokingly say that it all started going downhill when they took out the candy/popcorn counters out of the stores. I have actually seen boxes of candy bars near some registers at JCPenney's like it's a convenience store.

  • @taylorwaterman7316
    @taylorwaterman7316 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The reason why they don't care about the elevators is $$$$$. It's costs a lot to renovate one. You also need to get a licence, get it checked, etc... So when a store does not bother to fix/update it's on it's way out most likely.....no point in investing in something that is about to be torn down/closed

  • @BlueJay6441
    @BlueJay6441 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Great video, it felt like I was there...a relaxing night at a dead mall. I like poking around empty department stores too! As a female, I can say the JCPenney beauty stores are far inferior to Sephora. The new stores have drugstore level cheap makeup at Sephora prices. If you pay more, it should be a good brand, but the new stuff is off brand and not so great

  • @jasburger
    @jasburger ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Whatever you do, NEVER visit the bathroom at JCPenney

  • @OldMan_PJ
    @OldMan_PJ ปีที่แล้ว +43

    Makes me wonder if malls will ever turn around or what they need to change to survive. For that matter it would be interesting to get an owner of a dying mall on to talk about what they're doing. I can't fathom how the mall near me is able to pay their property taxes with how dead it is.

    • @animeshock2006
      @animeshock2006 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Basically have to have a destination thing at least in my area that's whats keep some malls alive😊

    • @leatherpunk
      @leatherpunk ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Here in Sioux Falls, one thing that's hurt the mall is all the development in our downtown area. I guess people would rather shop outdoors on some cold, windy street than in a warm mall. It's more hip to be in 100+ yr old buildings with creaky floors.

    • @DrHDoofenshmirtzphd
      @DrHDoofenshmirtzphd ปีที่แล้ว +16

      Part of what made malls fun back in the day was the people in the malls. Unless, they can get people back in the malls I don't know that they will ever come back.

    • @WiillStylz
      @WiillStylz ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@@leatherpunkthe one in Sioux Falls is so depressing. Mostly just excess storage for the AV and car companies nearby.

    • @rossfromfriends8468
      @rossfromfriends8468 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      There is already a documentary like that from a few years ago called "jasper mmall" and it documents a mall that use to be the place where everyone went and now it's just like 3 stores and a bunch of shuddered storefronts. It follows the on worker who does everything because he's the only employee. It's pretty bleak because no matter what they try the mall keeps losing stores

  • @jessicading565
    @jessicading565 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    It is very good of you not to film the staff at the shops! :) I wish others could take such privacy matters seriously.

  • @chosenone8408
    @chosenone8408 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I remember when Airwalks were dirt cheap at Payless. They were roughly $15 a pair. I think at one point in time, they were $10.
    In the 90's Airwalks were my shoe of choice for skateboarding. They were cheap, so ruining them quickly wasn't a big deal.

    • @YeshuaKingMessiah
      @YeshuaKingMessiah ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I don’t remember them being cheap
      My son bought some and wore them right out.
      He went back to getting Walmart sneakers as I would buy those.
      He learned about name brands being for kids who hardly wore them, certainly didn’t work in them

  • @charlescorey184
    @charlescorey184 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Interesting. I frequent the JC Penney in Sarasota Florida. It is a similar situation. Mall largely closed except for Costco and an AMC movie theater and Penney's. A longtime clerk in Penny's tells me JCP is holding onto their store because they actually own the store, have owned it for decades and therefore are making money on it, even with reduced traffic. From what I have been told, the mall will be redeveloped, but Penney's Costco and AMC all own their facilities so they plan to stay. They are all probably hoping the new development will of course bring more business. I also notice no more Sephora but it seems to me the men's clothing section for Big and Tall is becoming a bit leaner with inventory. One of the quickest ways to tell a retailer is in trouble is watch the shelves. When there are big bare spots, the "factors" who finance the inventories have probably become scared and are withholding credit. The "factors" are the canaries in the coal mine. When they start withholding credit and the gaps show up on the shelves, the end is near.

  • @seanhartnett79
    @seanhartnett79 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    We went there a couple years ago, dad was getting a dress shirt. The store looked abandoned, there was trash everywhere and you could never find someone to help you. They didn’t have it in dad’s size and he said that it was so empty that he could have stolen the shirt. The person rolled their eyes.

    • @kirbeast46
      @kirbeast46 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      That employee has certainly heard that comment many times before 😂
      They don’t care to re-explain that management can only hire 5 people

  • @trendel13
    @trendel13 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This would make an awesome backrooms level.

  • @D2503T
    @D2503T ปีที่แล้ว +3

    The JCP by me, built these partial walls to block off half the floor. They tried blending it like we wont notice. They all did that partial remodel with the modern floors and lights but it’s like 1/4 of each store. Thanks for the video!

    • @shrikeofterven6006
      @shrikeofterven6006 ปีที่แล้ว

      Ours put in a large appliances section about 6 years ago and then removed it a few years later. The floor in that area is messed up and the stock they have displayed there now looks out of place. We do still shop there but we buy so little now because we are older.

  • @melpomenimandy
    @melpomenimandy ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I had to go to a JCPenney's just this past weekend to buy some new work clothes and it was a misery going all across each department to the one open fitting rooms area every time I found something new I wanted to try on. At least Liz Claiborne was still around and I managed to find what I needed. Check out was painless at least, as there was nobody waiting, and it was the only check out area I could even see too. I loved these sorts of stores growing up; they were so vibrant especially around the holidays. Now they feel like a shell of what they used to be, alas.

  • @piratebear3126
    @piratebear3126 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    JC Penney has done better than most department stores at this point. It's where I shopped the most out of all the mall department stores since my mom was a fan of them over Sears. My main memories of JCP is checking out whatever GBA/DS game I picked up on our mall trip as we walked through on the way in and out. And that service desk hallway the restrooms were always down.

    • @animeshock2006
      @animeshock2006 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Well they are now owned by the corporation with the most malls. That's kind of why they bought them they didn't want all their malls to lose JCPenney as an anchor

  • @l_Live_In_Oregon
    @l_Live_In_Oregon ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Good timing on your video as I just read a story with this headline: "JCPenney spending $1 billion on store, online upgrades in latest bid to revive its business". My first thought too little to late. Goodbye JCP. Our JCP in the area where I live is overpriced, understaffed and understocked. It's located in a truly dead mall called The Three Rivers Mall in Kelso, Washington. JCP used to be the go to store in the late 60s to late 70s. Now it's just going to go away soon.