JCP — American Living Product Preview

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 2/10/2008 12:00:00 AM

Plano, Texas —

Home will represent the largest merchandise segment in American Living, the new JCPenney exclusive, store-wide merchandise and marketing program that will be launched next week.

The program — the largest brand launch in the company's history — is keyed to the company's Classic Traditions lifestyle customer, the largest portion of its customer base. It was created by Global Brand Concepts, a division of Polo Ralph Lauren, and falls within the retailer's "best" pricing category.

American Living will be found initially in 600 JCPenney stores, as well as online at jcp.com and in the catalog. It will officially launch during JCP's exclusive retail sponsorship of the Academy Awards on February 24. The online site goes live on February 19.

Bedding, bath, window coverings and luggage are the first home departments to participate. Tabletop and furniture are planned for later launches.

Five bedding collections, reflecting updated styles and classic looks reminiscent of iconic Polo Ralph Lauren looks, are in the launch. There are two sheet programs: a 450 count and 700 count; an American Living blanket in five colors; the American Living towel — the largest and heaviest in the company's assortment — available in 16 colors; and eight window collections, each with coordinating hardware. Two luggage collections complete the home store rollout.

In-store, American Living products will be housed in distinctive white wooden fixtures across the 40 merchandise categories. Customers will be greeted by store associates wearing red American Living polos, get American Living shopping bags and be able to view the American Living broadcast commercials on the stores' point-of-sale terminals.

Besides the Academy Award commercials, the program will be introduced to Hispanic customers on February 21 on the Spanish language network Univision, when it sponsors Premio lo Nuestro a la Musica Latina. The launch also will be supported by strategic a email campaign, in-cinema advertising, and a special sitelet, www.americanliving.com, that will feature the merchandise as well as the ads and links to the dedicated "shop" on jcp.com.

In addition, three stores — Glendale, Calif., Paramus, N.J. and Montrose, Colo. — will feature American Living shops, a store-within-a-store presentation that brings cross-divisional merchandise into one location. Most new stores, beginning with openings in March, will feature the program in similar presentations.