Over the past year, J.C. Penney has expanded its home products assortment to include major appliance, furniture and home services. Now the retailer is expanding its home refresh efforts by offering business-to-business solutions for operators and facility managers in the hotel and lodging industry, as well as the multi-unit residential industry.
According to the company, J.C. Penney is poised to affordably accommodate hotels, innkeepers, property management companies and more to fulfill their commercial and bulk purchase needs.
“While we continue to take steps to improve our apparel strategy and assortment, we see our home refresh initiative as a great vehicle for growth and differentiation,” said Marvin Ellison, chairman and CEO of J.C. Penney. “Our entry into the B2B program reinforces our home refresh initiative while providing new and innovative ways to achieve sustainable growth and profitability.”
Noting the U.S. hospitality industry represents approximately $200 billion annually Ellison said the idea first stemmed from hotel operators who were already ordering large volume purchases of bedding, bath and window treatments from JCPenney.com.
He said the company is staffing an outside sales force with experience and expertise to engage targeted businesses. The B2B program utilizes the company’s brick-and-mortar stores and supply chain to meet the needs of small business owners and connect with local communities, he said.
The J.C. Penney B2B solution also provides custom window treatments, furniture and mattresses. This expansion will feature brands such as Serta, iComfort, Sealy, Stearns & Foster, along with Beautyrest and Tempur-Pedic that will be available in more than 500 J.C. Penney mattress showrooms chain wide.
