JCPenney parent Catalyst Brands expands employee ‘super app’ rollout
Catalyst Brands is rolling out an artificial intelligence-based employee app to frontline associates at all five of its banners.
In 2024, JCPenney deployed the WorkJam AI-based “super app” to provide its frontline associates with solutions that enable activities such as flexible scheduling, gaining early access to earned wages, swapping shifts, requesting time off, accessing training, and staying connected from a single app on their mobile devices. Since implementing WorkJam, JCPenney says employee referrals have increased “manifold.”
[READ MORE: JCPenney boosts employee retention with mobile app]
In addition, the WorkJam Target Audience Engine delivers personalized communication and training targeted by role, location, shift, and certification. Now, Catalyst Brands will implement the WorkJam app for use by approximately 70,000 associates across North America at its Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Lucky Brand and Nautica banners.
Each Catalyst brand will be able to tailor its use of WorkJam features to unique operational needs while maintaining consistency and efficiency at scale.
"Serving millions of customers across our unmatched portfolio of iconic brands depends on creating a workforce that is connected, agile, and increasingly AI-enabled." said Andre Joyner, Executive VP and chief human resources officer for Catalyst Brands. "Through our partnership with WorkJam, we're embedding AI directly into the flow of work, giving associates faster access to needed information, reducing everyday friction, and creating more capacity for managers to lead their teams and serve customers."
As part of this expanded rollout, Catalyst Brands is also launching the WorkJam AI Agent. Employees will be able to get answers to HR and benefits questions in their own words, in the moment. Employees can have access to the capability through the same WorkJam experience they already use for everyday work. Catalyst Brands plans to expand the AI Agent over time, extending it beyond HR support to help employees with everyday operational questions in the flow of work.
"Catalyst is expanding WorkJam across all five brands because it's delivering for their associates and the managers who lead them," said Steven Kramer, CEO of WorkJam. "As part of that, they're putting AI directly in the hands of employees, starting with on-demand HR support, inside the same platform they already use to run their operations. This gives employees fast, conversational access to HR information where they work, while providing Catalyst with a foundation to expand AI-powered support across the frontline over time."
Plano, Texas-based JCPenney is part of Catalyst Brands and operates the jcp.com e-commerce site and more than 600 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Established in 2025, when JCPenney and the former SPARC Group combined, Catalyst Brands today operates 1,800 retail stores, shop-in-shops, and e-commerce platforms throughout the U.S. and Canada.
