Jennifer Marks

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A Tweak? Or a Twist?

Let me start with this: I am rooting for Ron Johnson and the JCPenney/JCP ceo's strategy.I hope he does transform the company. I hope he does create a breathtaking, 21st century format for department store retailing.I want to walk into JCP - the moniker for the future, completely fresh format store than consists of 100 shop-in-shops - and be so blown away that my purse pops open of its own accord... More

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Give a Hoot

Hurricane Sandy may have disappeared from news in most of the country, but it is still very much a factor in the lives of tens of thousands of people still without power as I write this nine days after the storm passed.Several retailers have donated to disaster relief in the wake of the storm, including Belk, Kohl's, Target, Macy's and Walmart. So have some home textiles suppliers, among them Alok... More

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Changing Times

After previewing the New York Home Fashions Market week last month, one of the big take-aways was the market pivot to the Millennial generation. We've since seen more evidence of the trend. Last week, Macy's announced the launch of 13 new brands in the coming months to appeal explicitly to the 13- to 30-year-old population segment. The brands are apparel, accessories and footwear, although obvi... More

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Déjà Vu

In remarks at the Fashion Group International luncheon last week, JCPenney ceo Ron Johnson seemed to confirm what we were hearing during last month's New York Home Fashions Market: some of the Martha Stewart merchandise being contested by rival Macy's as exclusive to its stores is headed to JCP minus the Stewart branding.The Martha Stewart product categories at Macy's, by the way, include bedding,... More

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A Turning Point

  For my money, the New York Home Fashions Market earlier this month was one of the most interesting - and pivotal - in years. You could say spring market of 2000 was the last in which the big U.S. mills were the undisputed Goliaths of the industry. (By summer, Glenoit would be among the first to file bankruptcy, and by fall, Wall Street analysts were already forecasting the same for Pillowtex.) S... More