Dive Brief:
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J.C. Penney is touting its new image-search app as a way to get designer-like goods at J.C. Penney prices.
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After scanning a designer product or barcode the app will find a similar item at J.C. Penney. Shoppers who decide it’s indeed close enough can add it to their carts and buy it.
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The iOS app is available now and an Android app is due in August.
Dive Insight:
There’s plenty of “real or steal?” activity when it comes to designer looks — from the faux knockoffs sporting illegal logos on New York’s Canal Street and on eBay or Alibaba to the high fashion-inspired designs at Target and J.C. Penney. Now Penney is making the search, or more accurately the find, that much easier with its image-search app.
This app leans heavily on a strong omnichannel operation as J.C. Penney is amping up its cross-channel shopping experience. It could go far as long as the retailer can keep its designs up-to-date and its m-commerce, inventory management, and in-store operations nimble.
