Ron Johnson talks to the AP
Some interesting stuff, though nothing earth-shattering, from the JC Penney CEO, previously Apple’s retail boss. Though — attention to detail! — he did get the iPad launch year wrong: It was 2010, not 2009. Perhaps he’s not used to be being around reporters.
Here’s a bit:
Q. What ideals have you embraced from Steve Jobs?
A. The importance of doing everything you do to your very best. And that the journey is the reward. If you do things well one at a time, you end up in a really good place. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Control the things you can.
and
Q. Who are the chain’s competitors?
A. Our number one competitor is ourselves and our way of thinking, which is informed by decades of experience. It’s not another store; it’s not another format like the Internet. Our competition is ourselves and our best friend is our imagination.
JC Penney is obviously not the luxury brand that Apple was, even in 2000, but it can be much more creative and interesting than it is now. I’m actually curious to see what Johnson can/will do there, especially after what Apple has done to get us to expect better from our products and stores.
Check out my new site: The New Consumer, a publication about how and why people spend their time and money.