Ron Johnson Launching Retail Start-Up

Former J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson is back in the game. Johnson, who prior to joining Penney headed up Apple’s retail store operations for nearly 12 years, is launching a new company — called Enjoy — and contrary to earlier rumors, it’s not an on-demand tech-gadget delivery service. Instead, it’s a service to help online shoppers make the right product choices.



Johnson isn’t divulging much about his new start-up, or exactly what it will offer. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he described Enjoy as a service that will change the way consumers buy “things that matter,” and enable shoppers who start their shopping on the Web to connect with a product before making a decision. According to the report, Enjoy will help customers make informed choices, something lacking in the fast-paced world of online shopping.



“There’s more to life than logistics,” Johnson told the Journal. “There’s more to life than a review. Just because we’re moving online, it doesn’t mean that need for a connection is going away. No one has really thought that through yet.”



Two former Apple veterans are already on board with Johnson in the new venture: Jerry McDougal, formerly VP retail, and Tom Suiter, a creative director.