Mr. Rosen’s extensive background makes him a good choice, but there is a lot of work to do and the battle may be unwinnable. The biggest challenge Mr. Rosen faces is the same one JCPenney has been struggling with for years – relevancy with consumers. This brand lost it’s luster years ago and it will take a Herculean effort and a good future to turn this around. I’m always hopeful about new leadership, but also realistic about the challenges that lay ahead. This will not be an easy ride.

JCPenney has a tough hill to climb, as many consumers have already lost hope in the chain. The biggest challenge for JCPenney is to restore confidence in consumers that they are “vibrant” and will be around. The other ongoing challenge is to attract younger customers.

He certainly seems like a solid choice. But no one can fix JC Penney at this point. Dead brand walking.

Marc Rosen could be exactly what JCPenney needs to propel the retailer into connecting with its customer on a deeper level, which they have already started to implement with the JCP Beauty rollout.

They are taking customer feedback and closing the feedback loop with product assortments that are representative and inclusive. This is a point of difference that not all retailers have.

Taking action is the only way to stay relevant and Marc Rosen could infuse a new way of thinking about the customer with a design leading and innovating perspective that comes from Levi’s.

Again another very good leader for the company, but it is an uphill battle when you are still trying to find your relevance in the retail sector. I hope they find their answers quickly before time runs out on the company.

This is a great appointment of someone with experience of retail, branding and many other facets of the consumer space. However JCPenney is in a very, very bad place and the amount of work needed to get it back on track should not be underestimated. Indeed, the chain is actually worse than it was when it went into bankruptcy and standards in most stores have deteriorated quite significantly. I wish Mr. Rosen well, but he has a very, very hard road ahead of him and success is not a guaranteed destination.

I wish him all the best. It’s a relief to find they went with someone experienced at retail brands and are not trying to teach someone the game of retail while flying the plane. That said, there are a lot of parts missing on the plane to contend with – not least of which is the airstream of loyal customers which has been reduced to a light breeze.

“Mr. Shashou said in a statement that Mr. Rosen is joining a company that has focused on stabilizing its business, improving its financial position and setting itself up for success going forward.” A similar statement has been made again and again, over the past dozen years while JCPenney has seen a succession of six CEOs; the only difference now is the backing of the Simon group.

The Penney release about Mr. Rosen also mentions this: “Notable portfolio additions include Ryegrass™, Linden Street™, Thereabouts™, Stylus™, and Juicy by Juicy Couture.” Most of these are new private brands in a company that already had too many — and facing competition from Kohl’s additions of Sephora, Calvin Klein, Eddie Bauer and other national brands.

None of this is meant to reflect on Mr. Rosen’s talent and background, but he has his work cut out for him. What is left to try at JCPenney that hasn’t already been tried?

Most likely too little too late.

Personally, I would have rehired Ron Johnson — but with the benefit of lessons learned from his last go-around. The magnitude of change he was trying to implement is what is now called for, but with a lot more pragmatic view about the role of coupons and sale events. Mr. Johnson recognized the role of “theater” in department stores. But maybe the combination of “theater” and JCP is not in the cards any longer.

Mr. Rosen’s tenure at Levi Strauss & Co. is a huge plus for the struggling retailer. JCPenney’s relevance in the market remains highly problematic, though, as Mr. Rosen must quickly find ways to reconnect with their customers and re-invigorate the brand effectively. I wish Mr. Rosen well as he faces this Herculean task.

Marc Rosen appears to be a very strong choice for JCPenney but, at this point, they need much more than a strong leader. A good start, for sure, but only a beginning. “…a company that has focused on stabilizing its business, improving its financial position and setting itself up for success going forward…” Sadly, it’s this sort of phrase we hear too often from JCPenney. Nowhere in this statement do we hear anything about the brand finding its identity with customers. Too often we get statements about returning to JCP’s roots to bring back customers. The problem is those customers are long gone. JCP is left with two options – identify why the remaining customers they have continue to buy from them and double down on what those customers want, and two, identify what the brand could mean to everyone else. Launching new private lines is great, but if you ask anyone to name a JCP brand, what answer will you get? If you ask those same people to name a Target brand, they will… Read more »

I don’t know if anyone can say this person, or any other is the right one to resurrect the stores. It will be a monstrous job. Today the stores are woefully out of inventory. If Mr. Rosen is the retailer it appears he is, I am anxious to watch the enormous turnaround. I am sure he can do it if all parties support his plans. This can be very exciting and rewarding. I’m watching Mr. Rosen and hoping, as I am sure many others are. Leave him alone and let him run. That’s what is needed.