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Will J.C. Penney’s new private brand connect with Instagram-savvy moms?

Written by Tom Ryan

Photo: JCPenney

Earlier this month, J.C. Penney debuted a new private label collection “inspired by Instagram moments” and created for moms.

The brand, Peyton and Parker, will be the department store’s first in years that spans departments, including apparel, accessories, shoes and home décor. In a statement, Val Harris, SVP of product development and design, said Penney’s product development and design team “saw a void in our assortment for a family lifestyle brand.”

The collection further stands out with its promise of “Instagram-worthy styles” that’s being supported by two factors:

  • Being available seasonally in limited-edition capsule collections.
  • Backed by an influencer campaign featuring mommy bloggers.

The holiday collection inspired by Instagram-posts features a women’s glitter ballerina shoe, a men’s puffer vest and a sequin dress and glitter crown headband for girls.

“Every family has a story to tell through photos and we created Peyton and Parker to give mom a fresh style perspective when sharing her family’s lives on social media via fashionable squares,” said Ms. Harris. “We are working with a targeted list of savvy mom influencers on Instagram who have an eye for tradition, photography and fashion to unveil this whimsical brand in a natural, organic way.”

 

Sharing pictures of food on Instagram has dramatically increased the importance of design, décor and food presentation at restaurants. Millennials are said to be eating out more because restaurants are able to deliver the socially shareable experiences the generation craves.

By comparison, not as many shareable moments are available at traditional retailers, although many are sprucing up décor and introducing in-store events to boost Instagrammable shares.

Penney appears to be tapping into Millennials increasingly seeking styling ideas across Instagram. A survey last year of Instagram users by Dana Rebecca Designs found 85 percent follow accounts on Instagram that are style, fashion or lifestyle-focused, and 72 percent made a fashion, style or beauty-related purchase after seeing it on Instagram.

Ms. Harris said, “We were inspired to create a line that made it easy for mom to dress her family and decorate her home, creating a picture-perfect moment for all of her social media channels.”

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