JCPenney Adds Artesia

By Jennifer Marks -- Home Textiles Today, 3/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Plano, Texas —

JCPenney builds out its lifestyle presentations will the rollout next month of Artesia, a global eclectic brand for the neo-traditional customer.

"We'd done a nice business in the past with Chris Madden in the adventurous lifestyle. That piece of it was not built upon," said Steve Castella, vp product development/design for soft home. "We saw a big white space."

Castella said Artesia "is not just an additional global brand. It's the newness of global — that modern overlay."

The collection — designed, developed and sourced in-house — features geometric tile motifs, mosaic prints and beaded and metallic embellishments. Artesia debuts with a full range of soft home as well as accent furniture and decorative accessories. Retails are:

• Bedding: $300

• Towels: $14–$20

• Window coverings: $35–$130

• Area and accent rugs: $160–$300

• Dec pillows: $30–$40

• Bath accessories: $19.99–$59.99

• Accent furniture: $200–$749

• Lighting: $160–$300

• Tabletop: $9.99–$179.99

• Decorative accessories: $30–$80

• Candles: $10–$50

"I think what we have seen in this economy is that the customer absolutely will not spend until we put some newness in front of her," said Castella. "People are trying to simplify life. We have to deliver that in a cleaner way."

Artesia's official launch on April 17 will follow on the heels of the American Living and Linden Street lifestyle launches last year. That's not a pace that JCPenney expects to continue, but reflects the growing cohesiveness of the in-house design and sourcing structure. Off-shore factory closures have not been a problem for the team so far, Castella said.

"The factories that went up overnight came down overnight," he said. "I think we do have one of the best balances [in global resources] that we've had in years."