J.C. Penney in big beauty expansion

J.C. Penney is expanding its partnership with beauty giant Sephora, online and offline.



The retailer announced it will open 70 new in-store Sephora shops in Penney locations and also expand 32 existing shops by nearly 50% to accommodate more products and services. As part of the expansion, Penney will hire 800 beauty consultants. Sephora shops will be featured in nearly in nearly 650 Penney stores in 2017.



"Creating a best-in-class beauty experience in stores is one of our biggest advantages over the competition,” said Marvin R. Ellison, chairman and CEO of J.C. Penney. “Since establishing the first Sephora inside J.C. Penney over 10 years ago, beauty has become a formidable growth strategy that makes our brick-and-mortar stores a dynamic and inspiring place to shop."



Online, Penney is expanding its Sephora offerings to include a broader assortment of products, tools, shades, colors and fragrances. It’s also planning to introduce a new online feature that will enable customers to book a makeover with a Sephora beauty consultant.



"We are also taking an omnichannel approach to shopping Sephora inside J.C. Penney by strengthening our technology and infrastructure to reach new beauty customers through JCPenney.com,” Ellison said. We've launched the ability for customers to purchase Sephora online and pick up their order at a J.C. Penney store the same day.”



Penney’s in-store Sephora shops feature an open-sell environment encompassing up to 2,600 sq. ft. of cosmetics, skincare, fragrance and beauty accessories.



"We are exceptionally proud of our Sephora inside J.C. Penney partnership. J.C. Penney is a powerhouse retailer, and we are excited to share the Sephora experience with even more J.C. Penney customers this year," said Satish Malhotra, executive VP and COO of Sephora Americas.