After JC Penney, Herald Square Will Never Be the Same

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When JC Penney opens in Herald Square at the end of the month, how much havoc is it going to wreak? In the headline of today's article about the store, WWD promises that it will do no less than "Reshape [the] Landscape." This is a big order, but then, JC Penney is a big store—so big, in fact, that in order to make room for it, the Manhattan Mall had to move several stores and scrap its food court.

What the mall lost in Sbarros, though, it made up in signage: There is now a 35-by-35 foot fluorescent JC Penney marquee leading up to the store. Other things JC Penney brings to 33rd Street include $15 same-day delivery service within the borough, many techie customer-service extras, and a full-sized Sephora. This last bit might actually be the biggest game-changer here. Yes, there's another Sephora around the corner, but when's the last time a brand like that opened in the Manhattan Mall?
· J.C. Penney’s Manhattan Debut to Reshape Landscape [WWD, subscription req'd]
· JC Penney Gets Its Very First Piece of Merchandise [Racked]