Increasing Market Share for J.C. Penney

The purpose of this investigation was to identify the reasons for the market share deterioration at the J.C. Penney Southland Mall Store and to recommend strategies to correct this problem. Based on the findings of the research performed, it was recommended that (1) staff training be improved, (2) free alterations be offered, and (3) the buyer and merchandising functions be improved.

This research presents the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of an analysis of the market share problem confronting the J.C. Penney, Southland Mall Store, Houma, Louisiana. The statement of the problem, statement of purpose of the research, the scope of the research, source and methods of collecting data, and limitations of the research are addressed in the remainder of this introductory section. Following the introductory material, data analysis and findings, alternative strategies and assessment, and conclusions and recommendations are presented in separate sections. A copy of the survey instrument used in the data collection process is included as an appendix and a reference list of all sources cited is included.

Traditional retail clothing stores such as the J.C. Penney Company continue to face stiff competition from discount stores, such as Wal Mart and Target (Schnieder, 1998). In January 1998, the J.C. Penney Company announced an intention to close 75 stores and lay

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icipate in the survey, the next person was called. This process was repeated until a total of 200 usable survey questionnaires were completed. Limitations There are two important limitations to the research methodology followed in the conduct of this investigation. The first limitation is related to the decision to limit the scope of the investigation to the effects of consumer perceptions and preferences on market share. To the extent that the market share problems being faced by the J.C. Penney Southland Mall Store are related to factors other than consumer perceptions and preferences, the validity of the research findings are compromised. The second limitation is related to the sampling procedure. A bias potential was introduced into the data collection procedure by selecting new subjects to replace those individuals selected through the random process who declined to participate in the survey. As only 11 persons out of 211 persons (5.2 percent) contacted refused to participate in the survey, however, this bias potential is believed to be of little consequence. Data Analysis and Findings The data analysis revealed that only 37 percent of the respondents usually shop for clothing at stores located in the Houma Metropol
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Approximate Word count = 2603
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)

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