JCPenney Makes Room for Disney Magic

JCPenney unveiled the newest brand shop in its in-store strategy last month, devoting a special area to exclusive merchandise from Walt Disney Consumer Products just in time for holiday shopping.Rolled out to 565 of the retailer's 1,100 stores on Oct. 4, the “Disney Shop” carries a wide variety of products including children’s bedding, dolls, apparel and costumes. While JCP has sold licensed Disney products for years, the shop contains new collections that are exclusive to the retailer. Prices range from $5 for a Minnie Mouse headband to $500 for a super-size Mike Wazowski plush from Disney Pixar’s Monsters University.Outfitted with wall and ceiling signs, the shops encompass 800 to 1,100 square feet of racks, floorstands and table displays stocking approximately 535 SKUs of apparel, accessories, home goods and toys either by category or Disney property. (See video, below.) As a tie-in to the home video release of Monsters University on Oct. 29, the shop's centerpiece display was originally decked out with a themed vignette of related products. The prominent area has since been updated to incorporate SKUs related to the Nov. 27 theatrical release of Frozen, and will continue to change in conjunction with new Disney releases.A corresponding Disney Shop on jcp.com that launched on Sept. 6 likewise organizes SKUs by property (such as Disney Princess, Toy Story and Sofia the First) or more typical product categories including “bedding and decor,” “toddler furniture” and “shirts and tops.” Graphics on jcp.com's home page and kids landing page link to the shop.Marketing support for the rollout included radio spots, circular features and updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram."The Disney Shop at JCPenney is a great example of how Disney Consumer Products is tapping new opportunities to meet the purchase behaviors and patterns of consumers," Paul Gainer, executive vice president of Disney Retail, said in a media release announcing the rollout.For JCP, the shop joins stores-within-a-store already in place for brands such as LVMH’s Sephora (the success of which inspired the retailer to launch others), PVH Corp.’s Izod and MNG by Mango. (See Related Articles.)While former chief executive officer Ron Johnson planned to transform stores into a “Main Street” of numerous branded shops (see "JCPenney Makes Signage ..."), it's not clear how closely his replacement, Mike Ullman, plans to adhere to the strategy. (See "Johnson Out ...")Elsewhere, the retailer also announced the addition of new brands from Wendy Bellissimo, Baker by Ted Baker, Sally M by Sally Miller, Flowers by Zoe by Kourageous Kids, and GiggleBaby — the last of which has earned its own merchandising area.

JCPenney Makes Room for Disney Magic

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