JCPenney dedicates homepage to beauty – for 48 hours

JCPenney is dedicating its e-commerce homepage to one category in a new promotion.

The department store retailer is running a “full homepage takeover” on its JCPenney.com site, exclusively dedicated to its beauty department, for 48 hours from Tuesday, Jan. 17 to Wednesday, Jan. 18. This promotion is a follow-up to the launch of JCPenney Beauty, an inclusive in-store and online destination designed both to serve a diverse range of skin tones and hair types.

[Read more: First Look: JCPenney in beauty makeover]

The retailer told Chain Store Age it is expecting two to three times traffic growth to JCPenney Beauty during the takeover, and the goal is to drive awareness and education for its hyper-inclusive assortment. During the JCPenney Beauty homepage takeover, customers were still able to shop regular merchandise and use their rewards on both beauty and other purchases.

“The online JCPenney Beauty experience is unlike any other,” JCPenney chief digital and transformation officer Katie Mullen said in comments provided to Chain Store Age. “Within this 48-hour takeover, we introduced new product to existing customers and inspired even more curiosity within JCPenney Beauty.”

JCPenney applies AI, AR to skincare

Other moves JCPenney has made to bolster its presence as a digital beauty retailer include a collaboration with digital branding company Revieve to launch a collection of digital makeup and skincare offerings. 

The JCPenney Skincare Advisor tool leverages Revieve's proprietary Skin Diagnostics technology and AI-powered product recommendations as a seamless, end-to-end experience in which consumers can find a personalized skincare routine based on a selfie.

To receive an in-depth skincare analysis and customized product recommendations, visitors to JCPenney's website can take or upload a selfie and answer a quick questionnaire about their skin type and concerns. Revieve's proprietary Skin Diagnostics technology then analyzes more than 120 skin metrics to provide users with an in-depth analysis of their skin and offers JCPenney Beauty product recommendations and skincare education tailored to their specific characteristics.

JCPennney is also offering an AR-based virtual makeup try-on feature.

JCPenney Beauty – a primer

JCPenney Beauty is designed to meet customer beauty wants and needs, regardless of age, gender, race, skin tone, hair type, beauty regime, or budget. The omnichannel concept offers a mix of mass, “masstige,” and prestige products. The retailer built its new concept upon consumer research to understand and deliver against how customers shop for beauty products.

Headquartered in Plano, Texas, JCPenney operates more than 650 stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.