Photo credit: Susan Getgood
When BlogHer invited me to be a JCPenney brand ambassador, I paused. For years I’d pictured JCPenney as a little stodgy — until I visited their headquarters and met the team. That visit changed my view completely. Beforehand I was a regular online customer for practical reasons: JCPenney carried hard-to-find sizes for my teenage sons (28×30 and 29×32) that most stores didn’t stock. Living far from big retail centers means I shop online a lot, and JCPenney had reliably kept my kids in pants when other retailers couldn’t.
The brand ambassador program included a trip to Plano, Texas, where I joined other talented bloggers: Natalia of MaNouvelleMode, Meseidy of The Noshery, Jill of One Good Thing by Jillee, and Jamie of Hands On: As We Grow. From the moment we arrived, my assumptions began to shift. Meeting JCPenney’s leaders — from social media and women’s fashion to salon operations, men’s trends, home divisions, visual merchandising, and marketing — revealed a company focused on customers, not impressions. They explained their motivations and inspirations, and several consistent themes stood out.
- Everyone I spoke with emphasized treating customers the way they’d like to be treated, echoing the company’s original mission. Their approach is practical: they design for real families and busy parents, not an unattainable ideal.
- JCPenney focuses on offering options rather than forcing a full wardrobe overhaul each season. Their strategy is to add a few trend-forward pieces to what customers already own, respecting budgets and lifestyles.
- The merchandise I saw combined quality with affordability. The goal is to let customers try trends without wasting money on low-quality items — whether clothes, home goods, or beauty products.
- I appreciated the JCPRewards program. Unlike many retailers, JCPenney’s rewards don’t require opening a store credit card. You simply enroll, use your rewards number at checkout, and earn points toward future discounts.
Initially I was skeptical about the “soft pants” trend the women’s fashion director, Adam Moon, described. I pictured unflattering styles and dismissed them — until we went shopping. Each ambassador received a $100 gift card and a personalized challenge. Mine was to find jeans for my son who wears 29×32, and I expected it would be difficult. I was wrong: I found the right size within minutes and still had plenty left on the card. I bought plaid shorts for three younger boys, a leather belt for my eldest, and, on a whim, I tried the soft pants from the MNG by Mango collection. They were so comfortable and flattering I almost walked out of the dressing room in them. I left with a pair of pants I plan to wear until they fall apart.
Between sales and coupons, I left with Levi’s jeans for one son, shorts for three others (hooray for carrying slim and husky fits), a belt for my adult-sized son, and a pair of pants for myself — all for $119. That felt like a real win. After the visit, I’m proud to be a JCPenney ambassador and to recommend the store to fellow busy parents. JCPenney offers a one-stop solution: clothing for the whole family, beauty services — including some stores with Sephora counters — home goods, and practical items like kitchenware and lamps. It’s easy to imagine running in for a haircut, picking up outfits for an upcoming wedding or everyday life, replacing a lamp rocked by rambunctious kids, and grabbing a pan for dinner on the way home.
If you win the $100 JCPenney gift card being offered to one Foodie with Family reader, what would you buy? Leave a comment below to enter.
Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive up to two entries by selecting from the entry methods below:
- Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post.
- Tweet publicly about this promotion including the exact phrase “#SweepstakesEntry” and post the tweet URL in a comment on this post.
- Blog about this promotion, disclose that you received a sweepstakes entry in exchange for the post, and leave the post URL in a comment on this post.
- If you do not use Twitter or a blog, consult the official rules for an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to U.S. residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected by random draw and notified by e-mail from sweeps@blogher. Winners have 72 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
The official rules and sweepstakes dates were provided by the sponsor at the time of the promotion.