J.C. Penney Searching for the ‘Perfect Fit’

Guiding that focus is J.C. Penney's three pillars to omnichannel success: find it, get it, make it work. What's becoming more apparent with every passing day is that mobile is at the center of this omnichannel shopping experience. Consider the following stats that Rodgers revealed about J.C. Penney's business:

• 69 percent of its customers use their phone while shopping in-store;
• in 2012, 72 percent of its online traffic came from desktop computers, while today more than 50 percent of traffic comes from smartphones and tablets; and
• the retailer has seen a 40 percent increase in mobile app conversions in the last year.

"You must have a digital strategy, driven by mobile, to compete," said Rodgers.

Mobile App Yielding Positive Results
Integral to J.C. Penney's digital evolution is it new mobile app, which launched this past year shortly before Black Friday. The app was developed in just 87 days as J.C. Penney worked feverishly to ensure it was ready for the holiday shopping season. Rodgers describes the app as "the hub of the J.C. Penney shopping experience," enabling users to find the products they want (e.g., improved navigation for faster browsing, targeted search functionality), get them (e.g., flexible shipping options, ability to scan the barcode of an item in-store to see if it's available on jcpenney.com in a different size, style or color) and make it worth it (e.g., easier access to coupons).

In just under two months since its launch, the mobile app is already paying dividends for J.C. Penney. Rodgers reports that the app has generated increased sales and engagement. In fact, three weeks after its launch, the app had more downloads on one weekend than J.C. Penney's previous app had total.

"Customer expectations haven't changed, but how they connect with us has," Rodgers noted. "We need to change with them."