JCPenney takes Manhattan

PLANO, Texas JCPenney will make its Manhattan debut on July 31 with the opening of a new store at 33rd Street and 6th Avenue.

The two-level Manhattan store will occupy 153,000 square feet and will be located near  the 34th Street-Herald Square subway station and the 33rd Street PATH train station, putting it in the center of one of the most highly trafficked areas of New York. In addition, according to the company, the Manhattan store will employ approximately 500 Associates, making it one of the largest staffs of any JCPenney store.

To promote its Manhattan debut, JCPenney launched a special marketing campaign that includes a distinctive “NYC/JCP” logo, Manhattan skyline graphic and unique shopping bag and is aimed at New Yorkers of all types. The initial campaign incorporates billboards, bus shelter and subway signs, wrapped tour buses, direct mail and digital components such as e-mail and cell phone advertising. For four days following the grand opening, JCPenney “street teams” will turn up in public spaces around Manhattan for fashion demonstrations and prize give-aways, along with entry forms for a $1,000 shopping spree, while specially branded pedicabs will offer free rides to the new JCPenney store.

Although JCPenney maintained its corporate office in Manhattan from 1914 to 1988, the store is a first. “It took more than a hundred years for JCPenney to get to Manhattan, and now more than ever, the time is right,” said Myron Ullman, III, chairman and chief executive officer. “Our company today has the financial strength to create a unique and inviting store in the heart of New York City, and with our assortment of great brands, we will offer Manhattan shoppers the style they want at affordable prices.”