J.C. Penney to Open Nike Shops in Stores

J.C. Penney is cashing in on the "shop-within-a-shop" format. The department store announced Tuesday it will be featuring designated Nike shops within 600 of its stores. USA Today reports the shops will be 500-square-foot areas located within the J.C. Penney men's departments where shoppers can pick out clothing to wear for jogging, playing basketball or working out in the gym. With athletic wear being one of the most popular categories in the retail space right now, J.C. Penney is hoping to not only grow its customer base, but benefit from the lucrative niche of athleisure.

Total Retail's Take: Seems like J.C. Penney has found a niche that works. Its Sephora pop-up stores have been a success for the brand, and the format is slowly growing in stores. J.C. Penney is on the upswing following a tumultuous couple of years under Ron Johnson's guidance. Ironically, however, it looks like Johnson's idea of pop-up shops is a format that works for J.C. Penney. We'll see what brands J.C. Penney will connect with next.