JCPenney

Took my niece to the photography department for 1^st birthday photos. The lady who took the photos worked well with her, however her photo editing skills were terrible. A few weeks later we received photos with various body parts cut off, a few where you couldn’t even see her face. Out of a pack of 25 photos, only 1 or 2 could be used for framing.

I’d rather face a zombie apocalypse than walk the half-​dead hallways of Oakland Mall, a ravaged hulk from its early 90s heyday. Sadness and neglect blight the mall and seep into the anchor stores, but JC Penney did a surprisingly good job of repelling the uncaring attitude that made a trip to shop at Macy’s hellacious for me last year.
The abundant stock sorted with relative care makes all the difference in the world. A department store should not in any way resemble the closet and bedroom of a spoiled tween. Nothing repels me faster than finding mismatched clothes strewn on the floor and dumped in the fitting rooms without an attendant in sight to keep some kind of quality control. Even the madhouse of Nordstrom Rack has some degree of orderliness that appeals to the shopper about to drop $ 179 on a pair of designer jeans. JC Penney may be at a lower price point but they definitely try.
The juniors and women’s clothing are my main points of call, laid out on the second floor on a radial format. Sephora, with all its haunting siren calls of gift packs by Smashbox and custom foundation formulas, sits smack-​dab in the middle. A nice touch, the makeup counter has most of their popular brands in a limited selection of colours and sizes compared to the full store. However, they allow one-​step shopping.
JC Penney’s partnerships with Canadian brand Joe Fresh and perennial European favourite, MNG (by Mango), round out the more exclusive lines along with trusty old Worthington’s and a.n.a. I used to find the quality very hit and miss, but surprisingly, the bar has been raised. Sizes in MNG products are slim and mostly on the small side except when a line is first released, but it’s nice to have the option without pining over online shopping or a trip to Chicago’s Mango store. Joe Fresh has a wide variety though word to the wise, pop over to Windsor’s Superstore, where the line is in-​house, for a look at different seasons and a greater selection.
I came in for a winter coat at a reasonable price during a cold snap late in the autumn. A rule of thumb for most department stores: wait for a sale. I had no trouble finding the coat section which was stocked with a full array of sizes, though not the coat the website claimed was in store. No matter, I got a better brand in a similar style for a comparable price. That failure of the website to show what’s actually stocked here was annoying, and not the first glitch I’ve seen. Usually they have lots of sizes in most of their main lines, however.
I drop a star for the aggressive marketing of their charge card. I was buying my coat, baby in his stroller, and the manager type tried no less than five times to sell me on the credit card, giving his spiel after I said firmly but politely I wasn’t interested. Please take a hint, sir. No means no, not maybe, not ‘Woo me with some more numbers.‘
Parking is decent and the store’s lines move reasonably quickly. As ever, look for the customer service or shoe registers if you want quicker service on the whole.

I’ve been back, and the Customer Service is getting better!
Keep up the good work JCP!