JCPenney goes green, off-mall in store growth

PLANO, Texas JCPenney announced today that it is testing a number of sustainable features at a new store in Denver Colo.

The store, located in The Shops at Northfield Stapleton in Denver, features LED lighting on signs, 100% recycled carpet, water-saving plumbing fixtures and appliances, local sourcing of materials, and recycling of construction waste.

The Denver store is one of 22 stores JCPenney opened today as part of an initiative to open 50 new stores by the end of 2007. According to the company, JCPenney has opened 44 new stores year-to-date, and will open six more in the coming weeks. JCPenney plans to open 250 new and relocated stores during the 2007 to 2011 period.

In addition to going green, JCPenney is focusing on the off-mall format, with 20 of its newly opened stores being in off-mall locations. According to the company, JCPenney's off-mall stores are approximately 100,000 square feet on a single level and feature wider aisles, bright and energy-efficient lighting, convenient price-check scanners and front linear checkout centers.