As the fashion world gathered in Paris, France for its annual runway spectacle, another Paris was having its own style moment 5,000 miles away. In Paris, Texas, JCPenney hosted a fashion show where local residents took to the catwalk, styled head-to-toe by the retailer’s salon and beauty teams. Instead of velvet ropes and industry gatekeepers, the event invited everyday shoppers into the experience. The event was a visible signal that the retailer’s fashion reset is all about bringing high-end runway energy to real, down-to-earth customers.
Leading the brand’s latest fashion moment is Michelle Wlazlo, Brand CEO of JCPenney at Catalyst Brands. Wlazlo spent more than two decades in merchandising leadership roles at retailers like Target, Gap, and Old Navy, shaping how everyday Americans shop for style. The Paris, Texas event fits squarely into the brand’s Yes, JCPenney campaign, which is shifting into a new phase focused on showing customers just how much fashion they can find in store and how affordable it can be.
“We think Paris, Texas is the coolest Paris there is. This show is about bringing real fashion that’s available right now to real people in every size, in every style and letting them participate in something that usually feels out of reach,” Wlazlo says. The new campaign hinges on surprise. The idea is to use fashion as an entry point to get customers who came in for one thing to discover everything JCPenney has to offer, from apparel and beauty to home goods. The goal: get customers to leave with a basket full of items they weren’t expecting to find.
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Style without silos: This discovery-driven mindset also shapes how JCPenney designs its stores and digital experience. Instead of separating products into rigid departments, the retailer is organizing merchandise the way customers actually shop. In stores, that means building a single fashion world where prom dresses, Aéropostale styles, and intimates can be discovered together. “Our goal is to design the experience entirely around how the customer shops,” explains Wlazlo. “Online, when a shopper clicks on a featured outfit, we merchandise it with shoe and handbag recommendations so they can build from the item they came for. That same seamless experience happens in both our physical and digital channels.”
JCPenney’s role within Catalyst Brands, a corporate structure that includes Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, and Eddie Bauer, gives the strategy a turbo-boost. It allows JCPenney to use its huge physical footprint as a home for its sister brands, creating a better assortment for customers through authentic brand partnerships. “Aéropostale is a great proof point” says Wlazlo. “We brought the brand into JCPenney stores because our young fashion customers wanted broader choice. With our footprint of nearly 650 locations, we can give sister brands a physical presence in markets they can’t reach on their own. Aéropostale is now being seen in malls they have not been able to be in before.”
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Private label power play: A key part of the retailer’s renewed focus on fashion is its in-house design operation. Wlazlo notes that JCPenney was one of the originators of private brands, and for nearly 125 years, has been a leader in “democratizing great fashion for everybody.” “We have a full design team and we’ve been leaders in this space for decades with brands like Claiborne, Worthington, and ANA. When something is trending in the industry, customers are surprised to find we already have it. Our design team’s focus is to be right there with the trends.”
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The closet council: The strategy is also informed by a disciplined process of listening to the brand’s most engaged customers. That feedback loop helps make sure the company’s efforts are aligned with what shoppers actually want. “We have these ‘insiders’ that we constantly check in with,” Wlazlo explains. “If we get consistent feedback from them, we don’t dismiss it as just a few isolated opinions. We make a point to pay close attention because we know it’s from our insiders. If we’re hearing something about quality, for example, we address it. It’s one of our major data points that helps us stay fresh and relevant.”
JCPenney’s turnaround strategy is already paying off, and Wlazlo points to the data as proof. She says the company is on its nineteenth consecutive month of trip frequency growth, with brand searches on the rise and loyalty engagement growing. These metrics point to a larger goal: keeping the love of longtime customers while welcoming new generations into a store that is truly for everyone. “When you walk into JCPenney, it shouldn’t be for one person. It should really be for everyone, and I love that,” Wlazlo concludes. “We have Arizona, we have Alfred Dunner, which is another amazing brand of ours. Completely different customers, completely different aesthetic, but they joyfully live in the same space, which I think is really cool.”