PLANO, TX—JCPenney is now offering business-to-business solutions for operators and facility managers in the hotel and lodging industry, as well as the multi-unit residential industry. The company has a long history of designing and sourcing home textiles, and with its recent re-entry into the major appliance market in 2016, JCPenney is set to accommodate hotels, innkeepers, property management companies and more to fulfill their commercial and bulk purchase needs.
“While we continue to take steps to improve our apparel strategy and assortment, we see our home refresh initiative as a great vehicle for growth and differentiation. The U.S. hospitality industry represents approximately $200 billion annually and a significant opportunity for JCPenney to gain market share and drive increased revenue per customer with major appliances and a renewed focus on soft home goods,” said Marvin R. Ellison, chairman and CEO of JCPenney. “Our entry into the B2B program reinforces our home refresh initiative, while providing new and innovative ways to achieve sustainable growth and profitability. The idea first stemmed from hotel operators who were already ordering large volume purchases of bedding, bath and window treatments from JCPenney.com. We are staffing an outside sales force with experience and expertise to engage targeted businesses. Our broad assortment of private brands in soft home give us a unique cost and value advantage in this new and exciting space.”
According to a recent survey, there are roughly five million hotel rooms in more than 52,000 properties in the U.S. today. Hotel rooms have one or two beds requiring multiple sets of sheets, blankets, pillows, towels and window treatments, which could be furnished with linens from JCPenney Home or Royal Velvet. JCPenney also stocks uniforms, scrubs and basic workwear, as well as major appliances, including large capacity washers, dryers, refrigerators and microwaves from leading industry brands. These appliances are used to furnish apartments, condos and townhomes managed by commercial property groups across the country.
The JCPenney B2B solution also provides custom window treatments, furniture and mattresses. Mattress sales have been so successful among traditional shoppers, the company will be expanding its mattress showrooms to an additional 300 stores by early fall. This expansion will feature the industry’s leading brands such as Serta, iComfort, Sealy, Stearns & Foster, along with Beautyrest and Tempur-Pedic that will be available in over 500 JCPenney mattress showrooms chain wide. From firm to ultra-plush, pillow top to memory foam, JCPenney has reorganized its mattress showrooms to help customers shop by comfort level and response has been overwhelming.