Kevin McGhee, JCPenney senior vice president and general merchandising manager, told HomePage News that, in its efforts to reestablish authority in home, JCPenney is making necessary steps such as refining merchandising and featuring critical brands, to gain traction and become a greater resource for consumers.
“We’re building off great momentum from 2025 in the home category with our focus in 2026 on elevating our commitment to deliver a wide range of high-quality, trend-forward home items at great prices that fit anyone’s budget,” McGhee said. “We want the shoppers that already come to us for amazing fashion to realize just how desirable our home offerings are, as well.”
McGhee said expanding the Jenny Martinez Home Collection and carrying exclusive designs from heritage brands such as Laura Ashley are central to that effort, because they strengthen the JCPenney home portfolio and help make the retailer a destination for every room, no matter the style or budget.
“JCPenney is proud to carry home lines and products that celebrate what matters most to making your house feel like home,” he said.
Upgrading the home shopping experience is an important part of JCPenney’s push into home and housewares products.
“We want the JCPenney customer to be excited about our updated design styles and to see us as a destination for home items that truly reflect their style without breaking the budget,” McGhee said. “No matter if they’re visiting our stores or shopping on jcpenney.com, we want them to feel confident they will find the fashion and functionality they are looking for at an accessible price.”
Kevin McGhee, Senior Vice President & General Merchandising Manager, JCPenney
In its approach to the marketplace, JCPenney is working to meet the expectations of today’s consumers, who are more diverse in their shopping habits than ever.
McGhee maintained, “We always strive to meet our customers wherever they are, no matter how, where, or when they want to shop. Whether online, in-store, through our app or some combination of all, we look to create an omnichannel experience where customers feel connected to their favorite brands through store presentation, site experience, social media, events and more.”
In the home products category, McGhee indicated that the company wants to help consumers discover and express their own styles, in part through the exclusive brands it has recently revised.
“JCPenney’s core customers are America’s hardworking families, and the same goes for our home category,” he said. “We strive to deliver a wide range of desirable designs that help anyone incorporate their personal style into their home, no matter what their style or budget is. These new items from Jenny Martinez and Laura highlight the diverse styles we carry, from bright, bold colors to soft, feminine patterns, that are very approachable for any value-minded shopper who has come to us for attire, but perhaps not home items.”
As it considers home operations today, JCPenney is pushing to give consumers a view of the scope of its offering and its unique aspects.
“We want customers to realize just how vast the JCPenney home category is, and that we are in the unique position to offer a wide range of stylish and great quality assortments for every room in their home at a remarkable value,” McGhee said. “With complete, curated collections from partners like Jenny Martinez and Laura Ashley, our shoppers can create an entire look in their bedroom and carry that exact look into their bathroom or kitchen with ease.”
To do so, JCPenney is partnering with the supplier community to work on efforts with customer satisfaction as the ultimate objective, McGhee noted.
Jenny Martinez for JCPenney
“From vendors and brand partners, we look to them to deliver authentic, ownable designs that are true to the brand and relevant to our customers,” McGhee said. “Come to us with your new ideas. We love to bring unique, innovative products to our assortment. We also look to those who have a shared commitment to quality and competitive pricing, so our customers feel confident they’re getting an incredible deal.”
McGhee called JCPenney’s assortment “broad on purpose” to address the company’s goal of being something for everybody in the home.
“We want to be a shopping destination where everyone can find something great,” he emphasized. “We don’t have a particular focus on certain segments beyond expanding our home assortment to deliver trend-forward designs that are high-quality and at an unbeatable value. This is evident in our Laura Ashley products and expanded Jenny Martinez line, which has introduced items like stainless steel and cast-iron cookware.”
JCPenney is planning a gradual evolution in home, with the assortment adapting to the needs of the families who shop at the company’s stores.
“And with that, we’re always looking for the best ways to showcase our product,” McGhee said.
The priority on merchandising effectiveness encompasses both online and in-store operations, as demonstrated by JCPenney’s advancement of Laura Ashley Home.
“Laura Ashley Home has been available online at jcpenney.com for several years and is now debuting in select JCPenney stores, giving customers the chance to see, touch and feel the product in person,” McGhee said. “For both Laura Ashley and Jenny Martinez, as well as other brands including customer-favorite national brands, our in-store assortment is more focused, with expanded offerings online.”
With renewed emphasis on the domestic space, JCPenney is making home a more prominent category across its cross-channel marketing and a more conspicuous part of seasonal storytelling, as was the case with the Laura Ashley Home Collection, which became central to the company’s Presidents’ Day Home sale and received “full 360 marketing support. The Jenny Matinez collection in-store events lived up to expectations, and the support the brand has gotten is a positive sign in JCPenney’s home department development, McGhee said.
Laura Ashley Four-Slice Toaster
“Home has also been a marquee category in promotions like our Really Big Deals, where offers on basic home essentials like towels are extremely popular with our shoppers,” he said. “Promotion across all channels is key for our business as we see engagement with different customer segments across the board.”
JCPenney’s new position within the recently created Catalyst Brands organization makes it a bit unique in this new context. Catalyst was formed in January 2025 as a joint venture between JCPenney and SPARC Group, whose shareholders include mall operator Simon Property Group, private equity firm Brookfield Corp., fashion brand owner Authentic Brands Group and fast-fashion retailer Shein.
“It’s been an exciting season of growth under Catalyst Brands,” McGhee said. “As the only department store in the portfolio, JCPenney’s business has a stronger focus on home than the other portfolio brands, but shared resources, especially in the marketing and wholesale areas, are allowing us to explore new tactics and opportunities to grow our business.”
