J.C. Penney’s failure to hold on to in-store beauty retailer Sephora as the chain fought its way through bankruptcy last year may have a happy ending after all.
Sephora parted ways with Penney in favor of pushing its store-within-a-store concept to Kohl’s, leaving Penney without a major beauty presence.
But Penney executives have announced a new partnership with beauty site Thirteen Lune, and this month will debut the concept in 10 of its stores, including the Penney location at La Plaza Mall in McAllen.
All J.C. Penney locations will have installed the beauty concept by 2023, J.C. Penney’s officials say.
The concept is similar to the Sephora idea, with a special delineated space and makeup experts selling products which will be known as J.C. Penney Beauty.
“Rooted in inclusivity, J.C. Penney Beauty grew out of direct feedback from our customers,” chief merchant Michelle Wlazlo said in a press release. “Together with our brand partners, we have reimagined every aspect of our beauty experience — from the highly curated assortment and welcoming space to the integrated loyalty program and all new e-commerce experience.”
In addition to McAllen, Penney stores instituting J.C. Penney Beauty this month are in Davenport, Florida; Dearborn, Michigan; Greenville, North Carolina; Mesquite, Texas; Niles, Ohio; Springfield, Missouri; Saint Cloud, Minnesota; Trumbull, Connecticut; and Whittier, California.
