J.C. Penney names Ron Johnson, the brain behind Apple’s innovative retail presence — as its new CEO. Before this new job, he was Apple’s senior vice president of retail.
Over the past 10 years, Apple stores have expanded from two outlets — in Tyson’s Corner, Va., and Glendale, Calif. — to more than 300 locations worldwide.
The stores themselves embraced the same clean, minimalist aesthetic of Apple devices, heavy on the glass and chrome accents, with any metallic coldness offset by blonde-wood or pale floors.
J.C. Penney, which has closed some of its stores, will present an altogether different challenge for Johnson, who spent years working as an executive at Target before joining Apple. Bloomberg reports that the department-store chain is looking to reduce overall expenses in order to compensate for a rising cost in materials.
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Meanwhile, Apple is looking for a replacement.