Penney marketing chief steps down as ads disappoint

Reuter ^ | Jun 19, 2012 | Phil Wahba

[Ezekiel]

When they go down they’ll leave a big open hole at the back end of our mall.

No kidding. Literally. Just like in the movies.

[Ann Archy]

It’s the GAY THING, Dumba@ss!!

[cgbg]

Firing the marketing director—great plan. Never been tried before. ;-)

JCP—RIP.

[Student0165]

I actually began boycotting Penney’s in 2009. I received a notice from GE Bank (backer for the JCP credit card) that they were going to raise my interest rate. I could opt out of that rise, but then my credit card would be inactivated. The JCP credit card was the first credit type card I got as an adult (in ‘85) and I had never been late on a payment. I opted out of the interest rate rise, and they informed me I would no longer be able to use my JCP card. Really? This is how you treat customers? Bye. Good riddance as far as I’m concerned.

[Caipirabob]

Perhaps “Lighten up in the loafers, Francis” was not good advice to follow. His marketing “Tip-Toe” through the tulips was an epic disaster for Penny from which they may never recover.

[Twinkie]

I hadn’t bought anything at Penney’s in several months, until yesterday when I got three items. Actually, I don’t just “have to get” their stuff. - They aren’t pushing the homosexual stuff quite so aggressively in our area, but, nevertheless, overall they are. - It seems to be this new guy they brought in to push that agenda; so, it’s back to ignoring Penney’s again. - The local store is more convenient for me, but I’m just gonna have to give it the permanent axe anyway.

[rlmorel]

This is the guy:

Things that make you go "Hmmmm..."

[AppyPappy]

Yeah but look on the bright side. Gays like him.

[GreenHornet]

Chief Executive Ron Johnson, who took the reins in November after coming from Apple Inc (AAPL.O) said last month that the retailer's advertisements had not clearly explained to shoppers the shift in its pricing strategy, a lynchpin to its turnaround efforts.

Their advertising had not "clearly explained to shoppers the shift in its pricing strategy" because their advertising was too focused on pushing the gay agenda instead.

[Cyclone59]

The whole GE Bank thing has turned me off of many retailers. Any time that GE takes over the management of the store name credit card, I cancel the card. I used to have everything set to pay off the entire balance on the due date - a fire and forget type of financial managment. GE does not offer that option, so you only find out when you get a late payment of $35 tacked onto your bill.

Then I tried to get into the practice of coming right home and paying the bill, Site does not allow you to pay a bill that has a ZERO balance. Had to watch it like a hawk - so much for technology making our lives easier.

So far I have had to cancel:
JC Penney
Home Depot
Lowes
Target - although target now has their own debit card
Kolhs

[Caipirabob]

My wife loved to do the coupon thing. She's a big time discount hunter. It's exciting to her to get a good deal. The JC Penny coupons were fun for her kind of shopping.

Getting rid of the coupons was disaster one, but she's also a hardcore conservative and the "totally gay" stuff completely turned her off on JC Penny. Combined together both mistakes are more of a "scorched earth" campaign than something I'd describe as "marketing".

[rlmorel]

I’ll be up front here, I have shopped at JC Penneys for a long time. Being a 50+ year old guy, I don’t have to buy trendy stuff, I just want durable slacks for work that won’t wrinkle.

Also bought a lot of household stuff, vertical blinds, bedspreads, and so on.

But when I saw those ads, that was it for me. My wife doesn’t care, so if she wants to shop there I can’t do anything about it. But I won’t be going there for anything on my own.

[Bellflower]

Around here I think that JC Penney seems to market to the black population. The black culture tends towards certain styles and colors that, in general, look good on blacks, but not on me.

[abishai]

Funny thing about the Christian heritage about the Penneys... I was doing genealogy last night and learned my great x 4 grandfather and wife were married in 1811 by the Reverend John Penney, great-grandfather of JC Penney.

[shibumi]

All my friends are into the genealogy thing. I have a problem doing mine.

I’m first generation. Most of my living relatives (except for siblings and their offspring) are in Scotland. They claim to have traced back to the 13th century and the battle of Stirling, but they have yet to send me the written proof.

My last surviving uncle is due for a visit this summer. I’ve asked him for the family tree in lieu of the customary bottle of Malt Whiskey, of which I no longer partake anyway.

Our family in this country goes back only to the 1920s. (But I am a natural born citizen.)