JCPenny Ratings

         

Wednesday night, I began my rating process by visiting my first shop, JCPenney. JCPenney was named after James Cash Penney, who opened his first store in 1902 in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The chain is 113 years old. Currently, JCPenney stores are located throughout the United States.  Frederick, Maryland is the proud home of a JCPenney store which is located in the Francis Scott Key Mall. I had the great privilege of shopping there while rating the store.

The overall atmosphere of a store is very important as it leaves the shopper with a lasting impression.  The first thing I noticed when I entered the store was the smell, sound, and surroundings. Taking a deep breathe in, I smelled a fresh and clean scent. When I started walking towards the junior’s department, the store began to smell like fresh ground coffee. (This made me want a Latte from Starbucks, but I digress.) Moving on, I found the music to be completely annoying. The songs were not popular songs, but rather a mishmash of unknown and uninspiring tunes. The lighting in the store was dim, and there were even several lights burned out. The areas which were used to display new items were somewhat brighter. However, in one area, I couldn’t even read a sign clearly because barely any light was shining on it.  The displays were ordinary, not trendy or hip.  They were not that appealing or eye-catching.

After reviewing the atmosphere, I drew my attention to the staff. The employees were very friendly and helpful. I was greeted by at least three different employees asking if I needed any assistance. The customer service was excellent. The staff was helpful and courteous. They actually offered customers coupons for 10% off their purchase of $25 or more. Who can pass up that savings? The store was also quite crowded for 6:23 p.m.

Before discussing the clothing, I will discuss the cleanliness of this JCPenney. Overall, the store’s general appearance seemed fairly clean. However, after closer inspection, there were a lot of what I will call “Yuck Factors!”  There were many clothes on the floor especially near the sales racks. The fitting rooms were the nasty. There were stains on the chairs, fingerprints on the mirrors, and who knows what some of that stuff was on the floors. Here’s some friendly advice: don’t sit on the floor or the chairs. Who likes dirty bathrooms? I personally prefer clean, non-smelly bathrooms. JCPenney’s bathroom was actually (surprisingly) quite clean.

Now let’s move on to a more interesting topic, the appeal and merchandise.  Most of the clothes were exceptionally stylish.  In the junior’s department, most of the clothes were trendy, excluding the Star Wars and Minion leggings.  The variety was diverse seeing as they had a style fit for anybody and every BODY. Some examples of their inventory included flowery clothes, comfy sweats, baseball tees, cardigans, and graphic tees (my personal favorites). Overall, I have been very satisfied with the quality of the clothing purchased at JCPenney. Everything was well stocked. No shelves were bare. The prices were unbeatable. There were numerous racks of sale merchandise. The sale prices were 50% to 70% off. (The sale sections were my personal favorites, because the clothes were adorable and cheap.) The regular priced items were also very reasonable. Most of the clothing runs from $4.99 to $29.99.

The total rating for each item was:

Atmosphere: 2

Staff: 5

Popularity: 4

Cleanliness: 3

Bathrooms: 5

Appeal: 5

Merchandise: 5

Prices: 5

Displays: 3

The total rating for JCpenny was thirty-seven. Next week, I will be rating Walmart.

My Goal as Your Shopgirl

“Can we leave?"                                            

"Just pick something." 

"I am never coming with you again."

“Just kill me now!”                                    

 This is what many guys normally say when forced to go shopping with girls. Many guys go shopping reluctantly, only when forced to, or when they must make a purchase for a holiday or anniversary.  On the other hand, many girls love to shop. Some say it is a special gene or their genetic makeup; but regardless, girls can spend hours looking for the right outfit, makeup, or jewelry to improve their wardrobe. They can enter countless stores, clock up miles and miles on their Fitbit at the mall, and go on endless bargain hunts until they find everything they need.

How do I know this? Well, my sister and I are exactly like this. We adore shopping. We have spent innumerable hours not only scouring for the perfect finds, but also window shopping.  You may even say, we are somewhat of experts in the field of shopping.  Sometimes we end up not finding anything, and some trips are just a waste of time.  Why, you may ask?  Well, honestly, some stores are not worth the time.  Stores can be amazing while others can be disgusting. As a service to all my female friends and fellow bargain hunters, I, your Shopgirl, will be visiting different stores and rating them using a standardized checklist. The checklist will include popularity, staff and customer service, cleanliness, displays, atmosphere (music, lighting, smell (Yes, some stores do smell!), etc.) merchandise (variety, quality, stock), prices, bathroom, and finally appeal (which incorporates stylishness and hipness).  The worst rating a shop category can receive is a one, and the best would receive a five. The best score a shop can receive is forty-five. Next week, my first store that I will be rating is JcPenny’s.