I had a very similar experience with JCP recently but was in such dire need of the items I was ordering that I waited out the process. Fortunately, my lady was 100% smarter than your gal but even with all her acumen, it took both her patience and mine to wait out the clerk on the other end of the phone at the catalog office.

Little did I know that would be the least of my annoyances. It took THREE weeks to receive the small, in-stock clothing items I ordered. I hope you have more luck than I did, Caroline.

I won't even mention the sizing issues throughout their in-store items these days. There's no rhyme or reason to their sizing on in-store, in-stock items anymore. They've now lost me for good after eons and eons of shopping there.

Anne

It is such a shame how everything - customer service, product quality, American jobs - is disintegrating.

I remember when shopping at JCPenney was a real treat and the place to go for items that would last. I could get lovely, long-lasting, made-in-America items of high quality. If I shopped the sales, saved and planned, I could almost afford them.

An especially exciting shopping trip was while I was stationed at Dover AFB. (in 1988) It was the 4th of July weekend and they were having an early fall sale combined with a red, white, and blue day.

I had wanted new bedding items for my little studio apartment for ages. I wanted a two sets of high thread count, all cotton sheets; two cotton thermal blankets; two pillows with protective covers and extra pillowcases, four sets of towels, matching shower curtain and bath rug, and a bedspread. That was a lot of money for a single sergeant to shell out all at once. I had never purchased that many "house items" all at once in my life.

After all, I did have to feed my " single girl high heels" habit too! LOL

Well, the bedding was 40% off for the sale. The store was very close to the base. They had a sign that active-duty military recieved an additional 20% off, AND if you were in uniform, you got yet another 20% off on that day only.

I was in jeans and trainers. I asked the lady if she would hold my items while I ran home and changed. Heck, for those savings I came back in dress blues, complete with stockings, heels and round pearl earrings.

But wait; there was more. Back in the days of Customer Service, not only did I pay pennies on the dollar for all these wonderful items (some of which I still have) I was allowed to put the balance on a three-month, no-interest layaway.

Those were the days.

Sadly those days are no more.

I gave them credit for trying to survive both the economy and the internet competition, but when the quality of their merchandise dropped to the level that it's at now...they lost me.

And, when they stopped producing their wonderful catalog...that gleaned them many, many coins from me...I knew their days...like those of Sears...would be numbered. A great deal of customer purchasing power fell to nil when these stores made the fateful decision to discontinue their catalogs. There's just something about those printed "dream books" that makes many of us dig deep into our pockets when we'd otherwise not spend. I can't number the times that I sat with one or both of those catalogs in my lap into the wee hours of the morning planning the accessories for a redone room...or an addition to my well stocked kitchen. Despite the availability of the internet...I don't do that on-line.

Like you, Caroline...I still have a few bedding items that I purchased eons ago from JCP. I wish I could duplicate that quality in today's market. sigh You're right, Lily...those days are no more.

Anne

I placed an order online, and had to pick it up at a cash register. They had to send for it and it took FOREVER to come to the register. One item I discovered after I got home was wrong. Returning it was even MORE of a nightmare. The belt I bought for my husband...same Stafford brand as always...BROKE the very first time he wore it. The buckle separated from the leather. I will miss them for window coverings and bedding, but I'm done giving them my money. Just goes to show....a couple years ago, I thought Sears would be the one to go under.....Sears I wouldn't have missed so much, but I already miss JCP.

Try looking for a wallet with an attached coin purse--very poor selection and I like the Alfred Dunner clothing, but our JCP has a limited selectiion designed for younger gals.

Never been a JC penny shopper.

I used to buy a lot of clothes at Penney's. This shows the sad part of stores these days. Sears Roebuck, JC Penney, Powers, Montgomery Ward and some others in their day filled a niche for the somewhat "upscale" desires, where people could get a taste of the higher class stores at a cheaper price and still get a higher quality item than the bargain basement stores and someone to wait on you.

But...

Then people decided to be super cheap. The Malwarts, KMarts (aka Came-aparts), etc sprung up promising lowest prices and didn't mention lack of quality or service. It was the introduction of do-it-yourself customer service. You find a clerk, they don't find you. They have no idea what the product is. Shoes are there lady, find a pair that fit. I don't know where it is guy, I don't work in that department. And people settled for it. And it destroyed main street retail for the most part.

People gave a slight uprising for a while. So they did improve some quality and started carrying some name brands. Also brought in celebrities to try to give them credibility. When the smaller stores and the internet starting giving them a real boot they had to put in some name brands but what's happened? Prices have gone back up. You pay as much at these places a you did at a JC Penney, Montgomery Ward, Powers, Sears Roebuck (bye-bye Roebuck!), etc.

I give Sam Walton credit for being a marketing genius. His philosophy of give people the impression of saving money and they'll pay any price is so spot on as they say it's truly magnificent. He even convinced people to pay $50 a year just to be let in the door to buy overpriced stuff, haul it yourself, bag it yourself, require ID from people who stamp their feet at ID for any other purpose and then stand in line for the "privilege"! It's brilliantly executed. Some grocery stores around here tried a membership thing 40+ years ago and it flopped miserably. Timing and execution are key.

Black Friday should be a memorial day to mourn the loss of decent retail. We should place flowers at the sites of the dearly departed stores. But then again, I wouldn't want to buy something with the 4time Felon's name on it as a memorial!

I'm not a catalog shopper. Was in Penny's last week and purchased a liz claiborne purse and an Alfred Dunner sweater, both on clearance. Was a very happy camper!

I was in there today, it looks like the store is downsizing.
It may be neater but less product and they just had to move the departments around. Can't anything stay the same?????

The JCP here is still pretty well stocked, but prices seem much higher, and quality is not as good as it once was. The catalogs they send in the mail now are terrible, and dont even make it into the house from the mailbox. I still order online a few items, but, they are definitely not where I go to first when I need something, like I did before. We do have a catalog pickup in the back of the store yet, and there is someone there to place your order if you want to order at the store. Not sure how long that will be there though. I wonder how long JCP will survive now that everything has changed.

I've quit shopping there - there were things I purchased every year and now they don't carry them any more (at least in the store and it seems they have half the merchandise that they had before. It's too bad.

the only time i go there is for dgds jeans...all 3 girls rely on the south bend store...and before th e"new" jcp, couple of chrostmas ago got a wonderful old fashion corn popper for ds1's family room...but havn't been in months, or since the change...

Few months ago I went to Penny's looking for dress boots. The salesman was lazy, rude and didn't seem to care about pleasing the customer - ME! after 30 minutes I told DH that I was going next door to Bergners. When I walked into the shoe department I was greeted by the saleslady. Showed me the selection of boots, took my foot measurements and brought out 5 of the selections. When I found 2 pair that I liked she told me they were 75% off -SOLD!!! I then went and told the store manager of my wonderful experience at Bergners.

I can remember when I could go to JCP and buy a skirt-vest and blazer for $49.95. Boy..are those days gone.

SamKaren
your resident DJ

I was in JCP again yesterday and got to browse the store a little bit this time. There is very little of a boys clothing section and virtually no pajama department. If I had granddaughters rather than grandsons I would probably be happy as it looked like the girls department was rather large.

All my tiffany style lamps came from Penney's. I wonder if they will continue to stock them? There were none in sight yesterday but usually they do have them around Christmas time and I always got great buys on them.

On the other hand, I found some Alfred Dunner pants that were $16 cheaper than Macey's. I didn't buy them but I may go back. They also had some AD short sleeved tops on sale, 50% .

Once they took out the Cabin Creek collection, I stopped going there. My goodness...those pants were so well made and came in so many colors and were just as comfortable as could be! Can't understand why they dropped their number 1 line.
Eileen

There used to be a JCP catalog-only store near my job. You'd walk in, fill out an order form on a clip-board, take it to the cashier, who would type it in, tell you "we'll call when it's in". Usually whatever you ordered came in within 4 days. I did a lot of Christmas shopping there one year.