J.C. Penney

J.C. Penney appears to be radically altering the way it operates by offering what it hopes will be a clearer way for consumers to determine exactly what they're paying for merchandise. The process will cut through the mind-boggling task of determining what something costs by doing away with cents on price tickets in certain cases. For instance, an item that cost $19.99 under the old system will now be $20.

Liz Claiborne today announced it's changing its name to Fifth & Pacific Companies to better communicate its strategic focus on growing its three global lifestyle brands (Juicy Couture, kate spade and Lucky Brand) and reflect the sale of the Liz Claiborne namesake brand to J.C. Penney, among other recent transactions.

Saatchi & Saatchi New York and J.C. Penney have officially parted ways, ending a five-year relationship that birthed a new image of the retailer, transforming it from stodgy into a fresh-faced purveyor of affordable clothes for American families. The alliance, which had its roots in a meeting of the minds between the retailer and Saatchi chief Kevin Roberts, resulted in some memorable work.

Toys"R"Us and J.C. Penney are taking advantage of the customizable features of Facebook fan pages, including the ability to create interactive holiday-themed gaming apps on their Facebook fan pages that reward customers with exclusive discounts. On the Toys"R"Us Facebook page, a tab labeled "Holiday Scavenger Hunt" takes users to a page encouraging them to "Play Now."

While the twinkling lights and tinsel make 2011 seem like a typical year for holiday shopping, the truth is it's not. The biggest difference this year is with consumers themselves, specifically where and how they spend their money and how retailers are competing for those dollars.

First, J.C. Penney brought in the man behind Apple's stores to lead a turnaround. Now the retailer is looking to a symbol of homemaking to provide a further jolt to lagging sales. The company will buy a 16.6 percent stake in Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia for about $38.5 million.

Black Friday is an unforgiving affair. Retailers duke it out, using middle-of-the-night openings, limited-time promotions and mega sales as their weapons in the battle to grab as much share of consumers' holiday shopping budgets as possible.

Whether it’s an unbeatable return policy, a helpful sales associate or 24-hour shopping convenience, holiday shoppers define customer service in a variety of ways. The National Retail Federation Foundation has announced the top 10 retailers for excellent customer service selected by shoppers in the seventh annual NRF Foundation/American Express Customers’ Choice survey.

It appears that J.C. Penney is a leading yuletide marketing warrior based on the Promoted Tweets it's purchased with terms involving competitor Target with Black Friday only four days away.

Washington, D.C. -- The NRF Foundation, the research and education arm of the National Retail Federation, has announced the top 10 retailers for excellent customer service selected by shoppers in the seventh annual NRF Foundation/American Express Customers’ Choice survey. The survey, which asked 9,374 shoppers which retailer provides the best customer service, was conducted by BIGresearch. According to shoppers, the ten finalists for customer service, in alphabetical order, are: Amazon.com J.C. Penney Kohl’s Department Stores Lands’ End L.L.Bean Newegg Nordstrom Overstock.com QVC Zappos The official ranking of each retailer in the top ten will be unveiled at NRF’s Annual