Jc Penny Essay Example for Free

Jc Penny Essay This is not the first time that this company has been faced with adversity. The first time was in the 1960’s when shopping went from downtown locations to more uptown locations in malls. The company transitioned to mall locations to cope with the change. This time the change did not come easy to the company. In fact this change has cost the company millions. This time JC Penney’s was faced with a challenge that they wanted to change. They wanted to transition the public’s perception of them. They no longer wanted to be viewed as an old fashioned department store. The company no longer wanted sales or clearance racks. They wanted to change the whole retail climate. They called it fair and square pricing (Baskin, 2013). This came off a lot like Wal-Mart’s always low prices campaign. This sounds like a great idea to me. However, it failed for many reasons. The main reason because it was confusing to consumers. While the other main reason being poor marketing. Many people sat in anticipation of this new campaign by JCPenney’s. There were just as many supporters in the beginning as well. When I heard of this I thought of an upscale Wal-Mart. Low prices I do not have to shop for sales anymore because these should be low prices every day. However, very shortly after this I found myself not shopping there at all. Consumers want a deal, and they do not feel that deal when they shop there anymore. It is the thrill of the hunt for consumers. Not only that but the sales ad and clearance racks used to change. They are no longer changing prices so there is no need to go daily, weekly, or even monthly. Customers may check there as a way to show case, but they are not buying. Without the sales and without the sale advertisements the company is not bringing in nearly the amount of people that were coming into the store to score the best deal. Next the advertisements they are sending out are worded poorly. They are no longer doing sales but they do mail out what they called month long value. Customers did not understand the wording of it. It was never broken down for them. Ideally they had sales, but they were not called the standard name. Therefore, customers missed out on them and they were not bringing in the clientele like a â€Å"sale† probably would have. They were not able to embrace JC Penney’s new tactic. Another problem with this campaign is that the average consumer does not know what the clothing costs. Therefore they think it should be or could be marked down. They have no idea if they were getting a good deal or not. Again the thrill of the hunt is gone, and still makes the customers confused. It was confusing to customers and that means there is a problem in marketing. When a place makes changes that could potentially be confusing marketing is the key. However, there advertisements were so irreverent that they made even less sense to begin with. They came up with a campaign after their numbers dropped called â€Å"do the math. † It was supposed to show how much easier it is to just get a low price in the beginning rather than use a coupon. This action failed for the company. The CEO Ron Johnson came out and reported later that â€Å"it was confusing† to some of their consumers (Baskin, 2013). It’s no wonder that they lost customers. They did not target other competitors about their prices just what the company was trying to do. Last but not least they attempted to open little stores inside their stores. It was a Martha Stewart collection like IKEA. Even that failed because Martha Stewart was not able to put her name on it, because she was still in litigation over her brand. So, it was still branded as JC Penney’s. Not that the name would have made much difference, but it was not thoroughly hought out within the company. Also, this is not a new tactic stores have been doing this for years. The renovation of the stores to add in this small store was costly. It has cost the company millions of dollars. It has depleted their cash, and has also caused their credit rating to drop (Baskin, 2013). This was a costly decision to make when sale s were already down. Here is the largest problem that they had they wanted become a high end store in a low end economy. If I were the CEO of JC Penney I would make quite a few changes. My first change would have been to go back to traditional wording for now. These are the words that customers are the most familiar with. I understand that some companies like to do all their changes at once because it is cheaper. However, when you are changing familiar terms it is wise to do it slowly. Or at least explain it as thoroughly as possible. Change is needed as a society, but no one likes change, because of this I feel that they should be done slowly and over a period of time. I would also have changed the price tags on their merchandise. In order to make someone feel like they are getting a deal I would change how they were priced. I would put a suggested retail price and then put â€Å"our† price on the label. This would appear to customers that they were getting a deal. Sales are because the prices are higher than what they need to be. The advertising is all about â€Å"trickery† to pull people in. In reality they were still doing sales but they were not called sales, and people did not buy into it. By changing the price tags on the items the customers are still getting the thrill of the buy. They can see what their item is going for at their competitor’s location, and impulse buy. This helps eliminate â€Å"showroom† shopping. Or leaving to check their prices somewhere else. If it is a matter of a few dollars they will not go back to purchase. However, if they can see the deal they will buy. Instead of focusing on expanding a business inside of an already expanding business I would have spent the money elsewhere. Imagine if they could have established new rules for buyers. Gone back to JC Penney’s original roots and prove their claims. It could have created new financing and lay-away policies that communicated value, and used social media to create meaningful communities of consumers who wanted to track and participate in conversations about prices. Employees could have been recruited and trained to offer a fundamentally new customer experience based on integrity. They could have changed the way Americans shop and feel they should stop. I would not have wasted money on an advertisement that was bewildering. I would have spent money marketing on calling competitors out on their prices. Sharing the news on how Penney’s was changing. How they were forward looking. Instead of making confusing ads with no sales just to avoid the word sale I wouldn’t have tried to stay away from it. Since they were still doing sales but not doing sales on certain items. Limiting the sales options were not the problem the problem was using unfamiliar wording. Measuring some of these techniques could be hard to do. Going back to traditional wording would be one way that is hard to track. However, I believe it would go hand in hand with how you would track the new price tags. That would be sales. With these new changes and advertisements I would think that sales would increase. I would not look at the actual accounting book but do a twelve month comparison on the sales on each individual store. This is time consuming and costly but I think it is the only way to see how each store is doing in comparison to how they were doing the previous month and year. During high sale times I would make sure I would have as much staff as possible on the floor to assist our customers. Maybe they do not need help but a casual conversation can lead into why they came into this department store and not the one across the way. Along with this I would like to institute team meetings once a week where department heads meet with their front line employees on all shifts. To find out their ideas and where they are hearing concerns are. Then I would have them write them up and do a teleconference with each store head to hear these ideas, questions, or concerns. I feel this is an open door policy. I would also include suggestion boxes not only in the store, but in the break room for employees so they could bring these up anonymously if they felt the need to. Also, I would work on getting the contact information to employees for everyone in charge. Change can happen and many great ideas come from the front line, because they see and do it every day. However, their voices are not often heard. To measure the effectiveness of advertising I would do a few things. I would add a survey at the end of their receipt to figure out what they thought about the advertisement. I would also add a quick questionnaire in the store that the customer could fill out. I would also make it known that there is a number they can call at any time with questions. I would make it so that they could be heard with questions and concerns. Before I launched a campaign I would have a test market so that we could see what people could recall from the add, as well as find out if there was any confusion on what may have been advertised. The sales would play a large part also in whether it was an effective campaign. A company that has been operating for 100 years is struggling. JC Penney ’s was once a fashion icon to children, young adults, and teens. Beginning in 1913 it currently operates over 1000 stores. Growing up my sister and I waited to go through their catalogue. However, in the last few years something has changed. The company didn’t look far enough ahead to the future to predict these changes. They tried to become a higher end boutique like store in an economy that could not support it. Poor marketing and too many changes has made this one booming store one of the top ten stores that are predicted to be out of business in the next year. Works Cited Baskin, J. (2013, January 2). Lessons From JC Penneys Doomed Marketing Makeover. Retrieved May 12, 2013 , from Forbes: http://www. forbes. com/sites/jonathansalembaskin/2013/01/02/lessons-from-j-c-penneys-doomed-marketing-makeover/ Tuttle, B. (2012, June 19). More Troubles for JCPenney: Top Executive Departs Amid Sales Slump. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from Time Magazine: http://business. time. com/2012/06/19/more-troubles-for-jcpenney-top-executive-departs-amid-sales-slump/

Dantes Inferno Essay -- English Literature Essays

Dante's Inferno In Canto I, Dante has strayed from the True Way into the Dark Wood of Error. He opens his eyes and sees the mount Mount of Joy which is lit up by the sun. He sets out to try to climb the mountain, but his way is blocked by the Three Beasts of Worldliness: The Leopard of Malice and Fraud, The Lion of Violence and Ambition, and The She-Wolf of Incontinence. He then starts to lose all hope when Virgil, Dante’s symbol of Human Reason appears. Dante is very frightened and nervous by Virgil’s presence as you can tell by his response towards Virgil saying â€Å"Have pity on me, whatever thing you are, whether shade or living man† (Dantes Inferno pg. 30). Dante doesn’t know who or what Virgil is and is really scared of him. Virgil then explains to Dante why he is here and reassures h...

Interaction Relationship in the Airport

Airports are said to be one of the busiest workplaces in the world.   Big or small, airports play a special role as take-off and landing places for air transportations such as airplanes, helicopters and other aircrafts.More often than not, all the people in the airport whether one is a passenger or an employee, are moving at a fast pace and time is a very important element for travelers and airport personnel.As I was entering the airport, I already noticed passengers hurrying in or out of the waiting area. People from different races ranging from Asians, Caucasians, Africans, and Europeans among others were present everywhere.Some were talking, walking and running, making calls and carrying babies, some were standing still while some others were sitting. Some were falling in line to buy tickets, rescheduled their trips and raised their own concerns.Some were falling in line to proceed with their respective flights. Some were busy with their baggage and personal belongings. Some wer e too occupied with their appointments that they barely noticed what’s going on around them. The swiftness of the works made me dizzy as I continue watching each and every person within the premises. It was such an amazing sight!The ages of the passengers ranged from very young ages to older ages that are adequate and healthy enough to travel by air. Women, men, gays and lesbians — all sorts of genders were present at that moment as demonstrated by their physical appearances. Practically all types of personalities were there as depicted in their being sociable, shy, liberated, loud, soft spoken, noisy, angry, hostile, and gentle.Most gays were noisy and too advanced to be recognized while lesbians were quite silent and reserved. These factors revealed their particular identities even if I only heard their voices, without really listening to what they were conversing about.In terms of dresses, some wore casual outfits, some formal attire while others had on ragged appar els. Some were chic and stylish, some were simple.Some looked like they just got out from Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, GQ and other fashion magazines. Most women enhanced their clothing with accessories such as watches, jewelry, handbags, hats and caps, belts, scarves, sunglasses and other decorative items.Their foot wears varied from sneakers to sandals to clogs to wedges to pumps to loafers to boots and slippers. Some put on make-up while others stayed plain. As to hairstyles, I bet some dropped by the parlor to have their hair done while others remained uncomplicated.Business-looking and model-like passengers had good, commanding postures and kept a superior stance. Just by noting their body language, one could tell the kind of occupations these people have. Those who were smooth and well-kept have executive jobs as they monitored their organizers and laptops.Most of them did not hang up their mobile phones for the time being. They brought along with them suitcases and lap top cases. Their facial expressions also shared a bit about what they were going through — whether they were in a rush or they only have pleasure trips. Most belonged to the middle class while some were upper class passengers.Within the field site, most people were arranged in groups — families, friends or work groups. Families usually were crowded especially with children around and most of them, there’s too many of them in the company. Those travelling with friends somehow gave the impression that they were off for a good time or vacation.The work groups had serious appearances like they were about to attend meetings, conferences or important gatherings. Thus, they came out to be highly educated with white collar jobs.However, there were some who travelled alone and entertained themselves by listening to their iPods or mp4 players, browsing their laptops or reading newspapers or books to pass the time away.The airport employees wore their uniforms with corresp onding identification cards and pins. They looked and acted smart and they entertained the passengers’ concerns. The crew had a variety of responsibilities to make airport accommodations readily available.There were those responsible with the ticket desks, supervisors, maintenance, operations, food service and other functions. Airport security was also tight and they guarded the airport building quite firmly. They had sniffing dogs roaming around to catch possible terrorist plots as bombings.The airport environment is one interesting workplace to observe. People are always on-the-go, active and alert. It is good to know that people who work at the airport are efficient with their jobs since they take responsibility for thousands of lives who depend on the competence of their services. For projects applying participant observation, the airport is such an excellent subject.Works Citedâ€Å"Developing Your Observation Skills.† 05 September 2008. 05 September 2008 â€Å"P articipant Observation.† 14 November 2004. 05 September 2008 â€Å"Qualitative Research Methods: Participant Observation.† n.d. 05 September 2008 revision-notes.co.uk. n.d. Participant observation. 05 September 5, 2008 â€Å"What is Ethnography?† n.d. 05 September 2008

Career Field Analysis Diesel Mechanic Essay - 943 Words

Ever since I could go with my dad in the tractors and equipment on the ranch, I knew I wanted to be a part of its operation. I have always been fascinated with the operations of diesel engine and much of a valuable asset they are to our world today. I helped out on the ranch whenever I could driving equipment. In the summer time it was my job to operate the swather. I really enjoyed operating it as much as I enjoyed fixing it when it broke down. When it came time to go to college the decision for a major was pretty clear. This is my second year in college in the diesel program and I really enjoy it. I have learned a lot about diesels and the field and this is what I want to do. Diesel mechanics fix and maintain every part†¦show more content†¦There are â€Å"a large number community colleges and trade and vocational schools offer programs in diesel engine repair that may lead to a certificate of completion or an associate’s degree (United States).† Acqu iring a certificate or associates of applied science is critical to getting a job no matter how much you think you know. At the job every mechanic will start at the bottom of the ladder doing menial tasks that will build them up into more important and harder jobs. An entry level job could be something simple like changing oil to a more experienced position of field repairs. Rocky Mountain Cummins is a chain of shops along the Rocky Mountains that covers nine states selling and servicing Cummins engines. I researched a diesel technician opening that was posted on their website. They gave a brief description of what the company does and their purpose. 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