E-Commerce is Not a Priority for JCPenney

At WWD's CEO Summit yesterday, JCPenney's CEO Ron Johnson said, "When we start changing the menu, the store is going to happen." He was referring to the new lineup of brands debuting in Penney's this spring including Joe Fresh, Marchesa, Martha Steward and Lulu Guiness.

Interestingly, Penney's focus isn't on e-commerce. In a digital age where so many retailers rely heavily on online shopping, Johnson stated, "Ninety percent of our sales are in stores today. That's where the customer chooses to shop. Tomorrow, it will be much more of an omnichannel approach, but that's tomorrow. You've got to focus on where they are shopping today, and that is the physical store," said Johnson. "The digital environment you can change quickly. The physical environment takes time."