J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (JCP), Sears Holdings Corp (SHLD), Groupon Inc (GRPN): Who Wins?

In the wake of its earnings announcement that revealed $608.7 million in revenue, the company stated it would have a $300 million share repurchase program over the next two years. The company’s growth is especially strong in North America, where revenue grew 45%.

Both Lefkofsky and new chairman of the board Ted Leonsis have been with Groupon since before its chairman was removed in February of this year. Under their leadership, the company has achieved growth in mobile use, with almost half of its transactions through mobile in June.

Who wins?

Relative newcomer Groupon can serve as an example for J.C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE:JCP) and Sears, old-timers who are struggling to compete in an increasingly technology-driven marketplace. J.C. Penney in particular is running out of “second chances” with investors, meaning the company needs to find a solution that works … and it needs to find that solution soon.

Unlike J.C. Penney, Groupon has adapted to the consumer trend toward mobile devices in a way that works. J.C. Penney could learn something by simply looking around, learning how to reach today’s technology-driven customer base, and utilize what it learns to lure in customers. In fact, the company that once used innovation to reach out to customers through catalogs could, perhaps, benefit from using that same catalog approach to win over customers electronically. A new app called Pounce allows consumers to scan items in catalogs and purchase those items with one click. For a former catalog-based company, technology like this could be a great way to win over mobile shoppers. For Sears, mobile adoption could use in-store mobile devices to speed up checking and track down items that aren’t in stock. Mobile is here to stay, and the companies that embrace it are likely to be the ones that thrive.

The article Could the New J.C. Penney CEO Turn the Company Around? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Stephanie Faris.

Stephanie Faris has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.