Dive Brief:
- Department store chain J.C. Penney is re-entering the household appliance business and promoting the fact with two new 30-second television spots.
- Ads from McGarryBowen target women, who make up 70% of JCPenney shoppers and are often the key appliance buyers in their families.
- Penney stopped selling appliances in the 1980s, but introduced a selection of washers, dryers and other appliances at 22 stores in the San Diego, San Antonio, and Tampa areas last month.
Dive Insight:
J.C. Penney is reintroducing appliances after 33 years of selling mostly apparel, cosmetics, and accessories.
Running in English and Spanish versions, the ad spots show a woman perplexed by a noisy washing machine, and whose smartphone suggests she visit J.C. Penney to shop for a replacement. A complementary direct mail campaign advertises “Tons of polos and the major appliances to help keep them clean.”
Ads are airing in the chain’s three test markets—San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa. J.C. Penney is testing the waters for a national rollout, and plans to offer up to 150 different models of washers, dryers, dishwashers and additional appliances from brands including GE, LG and Samsung at its stores and website.
“We plan to continually listen to our customers’ feedback and learn from our pilot operations over the next few months,” J.C. Penney CEO Marvin Ellison, a veteran of Home Depot, said in a release. “The introduction of major appliances will help us continue to significantly improve sales and gross profit per square foot in our home department.”
Appliance sales have been one of the few bright spots for Best Buy and longtime Penney’s rival Sears. But it isn’t easy to establish a foothold in the market due to inventory requirements and the need for post-sale support.