Also people like sales and promotions. It's enticing and informational to convey new product lines, styles, etc.
His idea of tokens within the store was so bad the CNBC panel laughed at it. Oh and playgrounds in the store? Nobody goes to Penney's to "hang out."
Great example of an Ivy League grad who forgets fundamentals such as knowing customer, how to generate sales, and puts too much faith in technology rather than core business (retail). Johnson plays up his time at Harvard and Apple. I wonder how much he had to do with Apple's turnaround, though - what his role was.
Finally, Johnson introduced RFID technology and partnered with Oracle but the system was abandoned before it hit production, IIRC. The new CEO seems to be moving in another direction. Is the new analytics deal with TCS (Tata?).
This goes hand in hand with disdain for middle American values by rootless cosmopolitans. Mayb e it reminds them when they were in the same class and hate to b e reminded of the time mom and dad clipped coupons because now they live in penthouses? Or were never in that class to begin with and like the movie CaddyShack hate or disdain the lower classes? I can only speculate.