J.C. Penney plans inclusive ‘store-within-a-store’ beauty experience

The J.C. Penney Co., Inc. is preparing for the fall launch of J.C. Penney Beauty, a new, inclusive in-store and online shopping environment.

J.C. Penney Beauty is designed to meet customer beauty wants and needs, regardless of age, gender, race, skin tone, hair type, beauty regime, or budget. The concept will offer a mix of mass, “masstige,” and prestige products at a one-stop-shop which will start debuting in select stores and online in October 2021.

J.C. Penney built its new concept upon consumer research to understand and deliver against how customers shop for beauty products. These insights informed everything from J.C. Penney Beauty’s delineated floor plan and one-stop-shop experience, to its inclusive product assortment and helpful beauty experts.

The new beauty space will include an open-concept floor plan, crisp clean paint, and natural wood tone accents. Knowledgeable sales associates, specially trained to service all skin tones and hair textures, will guide customers on their beauty journey, with product recommendations and tips and tricks. J.C. Penney Beauty will have an equally engaging online shopping experience.

J.C. Penney is creating its shop-in-shop experience in partnership with inclusive beauty brands including Thirteen Lune, a beauty and wellness e-commerce platform designed to promote discovery of beauty brands created by black and brown founders for people of all backgrounds. 

Through this beauty partnership and others, J.C. Penney Beauty offers a collection of brands and products that cross categories and price points, including makeup, skincare, fragrance, and hair products and styling tools. The concept’s selection will be complemented by the J.C. Penney Salon retail salon.

“At J.C. Penney, our customers inspire everything we do. That’s why this new evolution of our beauty offering was created with them in mind,” said Michelle Wlazlo, executive VP and chief merchandising officer, J.C. Penney. “Recognizing that each customer is uniquely beautiful, we designed J.C. Penney Beauty to be a hyper-inclusive experience where everyone shines. We've partnered with like-minded beauty brands to bring this vision to life and ensure everyone is represented.”

J.C. Penney Beauty will launch at select J.C. Penney locations across the country and on jcp.com beginning October 2021. The nationwide store rollout will begin in fall 2022, with the expansion continuing through 2023.

J.C. Penney operates more than 650 stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.