Image Courtesy of JCPenney
October 1, 2025
Can JCPenney Win by Emphasizing Accessible Fashion?
Adding credibility to its new “Yes, JCPenney!” brand platform, JCPenney this month introduced diffusion lines from designers Rebecca Minkoff and Bob Mackie.
In both cases, the value of making runway fashions accessible was promoted.
The RM Rebecca Minkoff range from Minkoff, a New York-based designer best known for her handbags, blends “East Coast structure” with “West Coast ease,” and includes shrunken pea coats, wide-leg denim, and blouses, according to JCPenney. The exclusive line debuts with more than 85 pieces, and price points starting at $40.
“This launch makes elevated designer style more accessible than ever, whether you’re running errands or running the world,” said Michelle Wlazlo, CEO of JCPenney.
Bob Mackie, known for dressing starlets such as Cher, Marilyn Monroe, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, and recently Zendaya in elaborate gowns at awards shows, launched an exclusive limited-time collection including mini and long dresses crafted in velvets and sequins, as well as jewel-toned cocktail dresses. The offerings are priced under $300 and available in sizes 2-24.
Wlazlo said, “Partnering with the Bob Mackie brand allows us to merge the extraordinary with the everyday, offering customers runway-worthy fashion at unbeatable value. This collection is an invitation to say ‘yes’ to self-expression, glamour, and confidence, no matter who you are.”
JCPenney Continues To Lean Into Collabs
The partnerships add to a number of brands arriving at JCPenney this year, including the return of Nike; the debut of Aeropostale, Volcom and Hurley; and new exclusive offerings from Jessica Simpson to support back-to-school selling. Other launches this year include a plus-size line with model Ashley Graham, a baby apparel collection from actress Gabrielle Union and husband and NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, and a juniors line from Latin Grammy-winning artist Joaquina.
The push toward differentiated offerings is heralded in the mid-tier department store’s “Yes, JCPenney” campaign launched in April.
According to the regulatory filing of first-quarter results, the campaign is “focused on changing perceptions about JCPenney and building consideration about the availability of surprisingly strong fashion at a surprisingly strong value.”
According to the filing, the “Yes, JCPenney” campaign, combined with the return of the “Really Big Deals” program starring basketball legend Shaquille O’Neil, “resonated with consumers,” generating a 600-basis point in traffic improvement in the first quarter, a 22% year-over-year lift in brand search demand, and a 10% improvement with a younger, fashion-forward customer. Positive year-over-year growth was seen in April from existing customers.
Comparable-store sales overall in the quarter were down 3.3%, but marked an improving sequential trend over the 6.1% decline over the prior twelve months.
YouGov confirmed the campaign renewed consumer interest in JCPenney, reporting growth in ad awareness (2.3%), word of mouth (6.5%), and purchase consideration (16.4%) from April through June.
“The creative approach is more modern and culturally savvy than the brand’s past efforts,” YouGov wrote. “It’s still early days, and these metrics alone won’t save a struggling retail brand. But they do show that JCPenney’s new message is getting through.”
Discussion Questions
Is securing exclusive lines from Rebecca Minkoff and Bob Mackie a coup for Penney and the ‘Yes, JCPenney!’ platform a sign the department store is taking the right steps in its turnaround?
What else does the chain have to work on to regain relevance?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Dick Seesel
Principal, Retailing In Focus LLC
Gary Sankary
Retail Industry Strategy, Esri
Allison McCabe
Director Retail Technology, enVista
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JCPenney is doing a lot more creative things and is making a lot more customer centric moves these days, and they should be applauded for that. The new lines make sense as their consumers are very value conscious and want fashion fixes on a budget. JCP needs this kind of range to stay in the game. That said, it’s not an easy or guaranteed win. There are lots of other retailers in the low-cost fashion space, and there is still a big customer overlap between JCP and off-price channels. Winning comes down to not just price, but design, style, and offering something that feels a bit different.
Value-priced offerings from designers and celebrities come from a playbook at least 20 years old. Target pioneered it, Kohl’s and others (including JCP) copied it. Most of the impact of this brand proliferation is duplication of assortment without a clear point of view.
Meanwhile, JCPenney has closed about 1/3 of its stores over the past 15 years, including 200 just since 2020. The lack of a bigger physical footprint — combined with a digital presence lagging behind its competitors — will continue to impact Penney’s growth potential.
I misunderstood this headline. Accessible fashion is clothing made for people with disabilities, which JC Penney also offers.
More affordable designer lines, and unique collaborations, at JCP is a good idea. It will help the retailer strengthen its stores as the place to go for the latest value-priced fashions.
Yes, I had to read it twice because of that too! JCP does a good job with actual accessible clothing!
Great minds, Neil. Great minds.
I had the same first misread.
I also thought it meant ‘adaptive’ apparel.
Affordable has always been a JCP brand point… so if they can’t win on affordable, then…?
But, ‘affordable’ is not a store (or store brand) differentiator on its own.
As I said before – and will say ever time (“will…?”) is asked – Penney’s needs to try everything (within reason) and go with what shows promise. This preoccupation with some silver bullet is pointless…there isn’t going to be one solution. But will there be a solution at all?? It takes a very optimistic outlook to see a reduction in the speed of decline as positive, rather than seeing it as being even worse off than they were before.
JCPenney’s new designer collaborations are a smart way to stand out. Shoppers get unique, stylish pieces at strong price points. Paired with clear messaging and exclusive offerings, these collaborations can help reinforce the brand’s relevance and keep customers coming back.
JCPenney must create newness and increase brand awareness with these designer collaborations; however, success hinges on whether they can solve the “diffusion line dilemma” that has plagued department stores for two decades. When Target, Kohl’s, Macy’s, and JCPenney all chase the same playbook of celebrity/designer collaborations, the value proposition becomes noise. Why should the customer care about Bob Mackie at JCPenney versus Vera Wang at Kohl’s?
JCPenney needs these collaborations to tell a cohesive brand story, not just fill racks with names. Rebecca Minkoff’s “East Coast structure meets West Coast ease” positioning could be effective if it’s executed with discipline across merchandising, marketing, and in-store experiences. Given JCPenney’s declining store footprint with fewer customer touchpoints, every collaboration must work harder to drive traffic and build brand equity, not just generate short-term sales bumps.
I understand why JCP needs the likes of an “accessible” Rebecca Minkoff and Bab Mackie. However, I’m unsure why these designers would tarnish their brand by being associated with JCP.
Recently, I was traveling and spotted a JCPenney. My reaction was akin to a birdwatcher stumbling upon a rare species; I was a little surprised.
This is a retailer struggling to be relevant in a segment that’s struggling to be relevant. Top to bottom, the department store model is in deep trouble.
JCPenney, in particular, has more or less vanished from the shopping culture map. So while I believe their recent moves; designer exclusives, store refreshes, and brand pivot are positive, I have to ask: Who’s going to notice? This feels like a strategy to keep current customers engaged. But I’m not convinced it will spark new business or drive reentry into the psyche of the American shopper.
Locking down exclusive lines from Rebecca Minkoff and Bob Mackie is a smart signal for JCPenney—and a fitting extension of its “Yes, JCPenney!” repositioning. The move helps the chain punch above its pricing slot by injecting aspirational, fashion-forward energy into its offerings without drifting from value. More than just name drops, these collections—covering sizes 2–24 and with pricing that “feels like a sample sale” starting as low as $40—underscore that JCPenney is trying to make designer looks accessible.
But the exclusive partnerships, while useful, aren’t a panacea. For JCPenney to regain real relevance, the chain also needs to double down on operational consistency, store experience, and emotional connection. It must ensure that inventory execution, fitting, customer service, and merchandising deliver on the promise those designer flags signal—because a few standout collections won’t compensate for holes elsewhere.
Beyond that, JCPenney should invest in clearer brand DNA: a coherent voice in fashion versus chasing every trend. It should sharpen its assortment curation to favor unique, exclusive, or private label designs that competitors can’t imitate easily. Also vital: modernizing its digital interface, improving omnichannel integration (so its physical stores complement—not lag—its online presence), and honing loyalty/CRM tools so that the designer collaborations deepen relationships with high-potential shoppers—not just drive occasional buzz.
OK…partnerships and collaborations with high profile brands and designers. That’s certainly a well-proven formula over the last many years. But I’m not sure about…”runway-worthy fashion at unbeatable value.” “Glamour”…at JCP. I am not convinced that the best designers and marketers in the world are going to convince anyone that “glamour” will ever be part of the JCP brand promise. Who is ever going to say, “I want to look glamorous. I think I’ll head to JCP.” Yes, I am being overly literal and nitpicking and exaggerating. Yes, they have to start somewhere in imparting a new sheen to the JCP brand. But there is a full range of everyday wearing moments that have nothing to do with “runway fashion” or “glamour”. How about great in-store storytelling for all those very real wearing moments? Is Primark going to worry about JCP chasing runway fashion or glamour? Nope.
Can’t help but question how relatable Rebecca Minkoff (RHNY)and Bob Mackie (Cher, anyone?) are to the JCP consumer. The most successful alliances tend to be with headline celebrities and designers. Time will tell.