When J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (JCP) Was Ahead Of the Game

Running with an idea
While J.C. Penney is taking the shop idea in one direction, Best Buy is moving toward the original idea that Johnson laid out. The Samsung shops in Best Buy will be staffed by Samsung specialists, and will give customers the experience of being in a different store altogether. That’s good news for Best Buy, as it gives customers a new reason to come into the store.

It also means that those big, expensive stores can start generating a steady stream of income. Samsung agreed to a three-year deal with Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY). That gives Best Buy time to use the Samsung brand to bring customers in, and turn them into repeat visitors.

While the move may not have saved J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE:JCP), it looks like Best Buy is making the most of the idea. With Samsung and Microsoft as the first big players, I wouldn’t be surprised to see other companies — especially mobile brands — making moves to open Best Buy locations. If the same sort of increase that J.C. Penney saw is seen at Best Buy, this might mark a real turnaround for the company.

The article When J.C. Penney Was Ahead Of the Game originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Andrew Marder.

Fool contributor Andrew Marder has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft.

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