J.C. Penney expands curbside pickup

The struggling department store retailer is bringing its “Style on the go” omnichannel shopping program to more stores.

After initially launching “Style on the go” at its “brand-defining” store in Hurst, Texas, in November 2019 and receiving positive results, J.C. Penney now offers curbside pickup at all go-forward stores. The retailer, which shuttered 136 stores in June 2020 following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, rolled out curbside pickup to another 50 stores in March 2020.

Following the temporary closure of its brick-and-mortar locations due to the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March, J.C. Penney began expanding Style on the Go as it reopened stores in April.

To utilize “Style on the go,” J.C. Penney customers first check their “ready for pickup” email or J.C. Penney app notification for store-specific directions. Style on the go curbside pickup signs and parking spots are located outside stores.

When customers arrive, they notify the retailer by clicking on the “go curbside” link in their email or selecting “order details” and then “go curbside” in the app. Once customers have checked in, they will receive status updates while an associate processes their order and brings it to their trunk or backseat.

“We introduced ‘Style on the go!’ curbside pickup at our brand-defining store as one of many enhanced features to continue to deliver an engaging experience for our customers,” said Jim DePaul, executive VP of stores for J.C. Penney. “At the time, we didn’t realize just how important that early test would be in putting us in a position of strength to manage the increased need for contact-free shopping the pandemic required. Our customers have shared their delight with the speed and seamlessness of this contact-free option.”