Dive Summary:
- Forbes contributor Walter Loeb writes that J.C. Penney is missing an opportunity by not leveraging the name and reputation of its Liz Claiborne family of products, which it acquired the domestic and international rights to in November 2011 for $268.
- J.C. Penney would have killed to have Liz Claiborne products in its stores in the 1980s--when stores like Macy's, May Company and The Broadway had substantial selections of the Belgian designer's products--but the company is now minimizing the well-known brand in favor of the recently introduced and lesser-known Joe Fresh.
- Worthington, St. John's Bay and Stafford are among other brand names J.C. Penney is failing to capitalize on customer recognition of.
From the article:
In the late 1980’s I would I would go into Dayton’s Department Store in Minneapolis, Minnesota and would marvel how much acreage was devoted to Liz Claiborne apparel. Macy’s, May Company, The Broadway and many others also carried substantial offering of the brand. Liz Claiborne was everywhere and as an analyst I would lament that all stores looked alike. That is not the case anymore. The department stores that are left have developed character and images of their own through exclusive designers and private labels. In the process, Liz Claiborne slowly lost its iconic status. ...
