JCPenney.com Review

Consumers have plenty of choices when they decide to shop for clothing, home furnishings, etc. and there are many established retailers that lead the pack. One of the giants in retailing is a store that has been around a long time and is now popular as an online shopping destination. That store is J.C. Penney and its online presence is JCPenney.com. Let's take a closer look at this retail operation from a web site standpoint:

Online Store Commentary:


J.C. Penney is one of the world's most widely available retail stores with more than 1,000 locations in the USA and in many foreign countries. It ranks among the world's most recognized retail stores so it isn't surprising at all that JCPenney.com is also very popular. Like the physical location stores, JCPenney.com offers products like clothing, jewelry, household goods, furniture, and more. It basically offers exactly what you expect, with few surprises.

I have used JCPenney.com a few times and one of my most recent purchases through this online store was for clothing,. I am generally reluctant to buy clothing online, but some types of clothing are safer to buy than others because it isn't that important too see the clothing, try on, etc.. One "safe" article of clothing is dress shirts. As long as you specify the correct neck size and length, dress shirts are a safe bet to purchase online because they generally all fit the same way. And JCPenney.com does offer some distinct advantages for online clothing purchases like dress shirts and other clothing products. The site offers not only the ability to see a larger view and to zoom in (features typical in other clothing sites) but also the ability to see alternative views. This is nice because it lets the consumer see the clothing from a different angle, making it easier to make a buying decision.

The selection at JCPenney.com is pretty good and from browsing around a little bit, I noticed that most of the departments have a better selection than other web sites. The women's clothing section, for example, offers a good number of choices (more choices than the men's, which is typical of most stores, since they know women buy more clothing). The furniture section is also good and it is separated into different types of furniture to make it easier to find what you want. There is also a good amount of jewelry and other goods.

Delivery from JCPenney.com is good, with the items arriving within the promised time frame. There is also an option to have your order shipped to a local J.C. Penney store and this can reduce the shipping costs. But this seems like a silly idea to me. If I'm shopping on- line, one of the main reasons (if not the main reason) I'm using the internet is to avoid having to go to a physical store to shop so I can't really see much value in using this option. In many instances, it would be less expensive to forgo the on- line order completely and purchase from a physical location store.

Pricing is always an important consideration when deciding to shop on- line and one thing I can tell you about JCPenney.com is that the prices offered are not good unless there is a markdown price displayed. The good thing is, the majority of goods do, indeed, have a markdown price. There is also a sale- priced section that includes some great bargains on clothing and other merchandise.  

Bottom Line Viewpoint:

JC Penney is a huge retail operation that operates a pretty good online store. I like the layout of the site and I have had no problem finding what I want. I don't like the base prices, shipping charges, and added taxes but I do like the speed of delivery and the wide selection. The site isn't perfect, but the pros outweigh the cons in my opinion, making JC Penney a good place to shop for clothing and other household goods.