JCPenney recently announced its plans to debut JCPenney Beauty in its stores nationwide, following the initial introduction of the retailer-owned beauty experience in fall 2021 and its recent online expansion. The national rollout builds on the flagship partnership with thirteen lune, a first of its kind, e-commerce destination designed to inspire the discovery of BIPOC-founded beauty brands that resonate with people of all colors. Championing the beauty of inclusion, thirteen lune’s presence will be spotlighted in stores across the country and comprises roughly 20 percent of the JCPenney Beauty assortment. JCPenney Beauty celebrates its diverse customers’ unique selves by making inclusive beauty products widely accessible via assortment, availability, and price point. Paired with its more than 600 fully rebranded JCPenney Salons and vast range of private and national apparel, JCPenney offers the ultimate one-stop shopping destination for beauty and fashion lovers.
“Thirteen lune’s partnership with JCPenney Beauty is rooted in our companies’ shared mission to ensure hyper-inclusive beauty is represented in the industry and easily accessible to people, no matter where they live”
Beginning in October 2022, JCPenney Beauty will expand from its ten brick and mortar pilot locations to 300 stores by early 2023, and 600 stores by spring 2023. JCPenney Beauty’s expansion, and continued exclusive partnership with thirteen lune, is the next step in the retailer’s commitment to making hyper-inclusive beauty easily accessible online and in-stores nationwide. The full product assortment is now available at jcp.com. Stores not yet featuring the full experience will be given a preview of top JCPenney Beauty products in time for holiday.
“Inclusivity is core to JCPenney. We exist to celebrate and serve America’s diverse, working families which is why we are leading the charge to foster beauty inclusivity on a national scale,” says Michelle Wlazlo, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, JCPenney. “By creating a fully ownable beauty experience, JCPenney can quickly adapt and respond to our customers’ wants and needs. Last year’s preview launch allowed us to learn from our customers and evolve the JCPenney Beauty experience as it expands nationwide and online, making it unlike any other beauty retail experience.”
The new online JCPenney Beauty experience includes a virtual makeup try-on and skincare quiz to help customers find products for their unique beauty needs. JCPenney is the first department store to simultaneously bring both virtual makeup try-on and skincare assessment capabilities to its customers. Furthermore, customers will be excited to learn that JCPenney Beauty is fully integrated within the JCPenney Rewards program, offering more rewards than ever for beauty purchases.
JCPenney Beauty and JCPenney Salon now provide a fully integrated experience, with more than 250 unique beauty brands – from value priced to prestige – across makeup, skincare, fragrance, haircare, salon services, wellness, and styling products. Since launch, JCPenney Beauty has onboarded nearly 100 new brands of which more than 60 are BIPOC- and/or female-founded, with dozens more looking to join in the months ahead. The hyper-inclusive assortment includes exclusive brands and products that can only be found at JCPenney Beauty, including Relevant: Your Skin Seen by Nyakio Grieco, Reina Rebelde, Mirabella and Shades by Shan (launching 2023).
Leading With Inclusivity
As part of its commitment to bolstering representation in the beauty industry, JCPenney Beauty is anchored by critical partnerships with like-minded beauty companies, like thirteen lune. Together, JCPenney Beauty and thirteen lune work to support the discovery of diverse beauty brands, dispel the myth that BIPOC-founded brands are only intended for people of color, and promote beauty inclusivity. Thirteen lune’s assortment at JCPenney Beauty has doubled since last fall, increasing to about 65 BIPOC-founded and ally brands including EleVen by Venus Williams, MinttyMakeup, Buttah, Monika Blunder, Wander Beauty, NCLA Beauty, and Vamigas.
“Thirteen lune’s partnership with JCPenney Beauty is rooted in our companies’ shared mission to ensure hyper-inclusive beauty is represented in the industry and easily accessible to people, no matter where they live,” Nyakio Grieco, Co-Founder, thirteen lune and Founder, Relevant: Your Skin Seen said. “Together, we are leading the way for diverse beauty to establish its place at the forefront of retail, enabling customers to find brands that reflect their unique beauty and discover inclusive brands they love and can stand behind.”
JCPenney has also worked closely with Landing International, a technology platform serving indie and minority-owned beauty brands, to provide a national retail opportunity for entrepreneurial beauty founders and brands. JCPenney has prioritized onboarding indie and K-Beauty brands such as CosRx, Hanskin, I Dew Care, and Neogen that continue to be a source of pioneering innovation in beauty. Through these meaningful partnerships, JCPenney provides emerging beauty brands retail opportunities at scale and the chance to educate and engage with JCPenney’s customer base.
Education has always been at the core of JCPenney’s exceptional customer experience, both in its beauty and salon spaces. To ensure every customer is supported with tailored recommendations, JCPenney has educated more than 3,000 dedicated beauty associates and 5,000 stylists with knowledge on products and beauty needs for different skin tones, hair textures, and more. The retailer has also worked with Nyakio Grieco and other brand founders to personally educate JCPenney Beauty associates, ensuring an in-depth understanding of the products.
Building on its commitment to making everyone feel beautiful, JCPenney Beauty is partnering with nonprofit organization HairToStay to generate awareness and help fund hair preserving, scalp cooling treatments for low-income cancer patients going through chemotherapy. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, JCPenney will make a $50,000 direct donation and provide education and fundraising initiatives for customers, associates and JCPenney Salon stylists.
Visit jcp.com for a list of JCPenney Beauty locations opening near you.
