JCPenney has a store in the Manhattan Mall, on 33rd and Broadway.
JCP is in the basement of the mall, but there was Joe Fresh marketing all over the top floor. Orange was the theme of the day and it was hard to miss.
After going down the escalator and walking in the store, I was immediately handed a coupon for $10 off my purchase. JCPenney initially tried eliminating coupons under CEO Ron Johnson, but the discounts are definitely back.
Soon enough, I spotted the bright orange signs leading me to the Joe Fresh section. Here's Joe Fresh — "Fresh style. Fresh price."
The store had clearly made sure an influx of staff were working the section, and an employee in a Joe Fresh t-shirt asked what I thought of the new brand within a minute of my arrival.
The line featured colors of every kind.
Shirts on the other side were the same way.
Nearly everything comes in multiple colors and patterns.
Here's one of the collection's mannequins sporting a trendier style. Those white crochet shorts are $39 and the front-pocket black shirt is $29.
But other than the brief bit of black and white, colors were all around.
Everything in the collection screamed spring and summer.
Big advertisements on the wall made sure I never forgot what style I was shopping. An employee also offered to enter me in a "Refresh with Joe Fresh" sweepstakes that gives winners free Joe Fresh clothes for a year.
So far, the JCPenney collection only has a women's line. But Joe Fresh's standalone stores have men's and children's lines, too.
Here's a rack of patterned dresses. The employees were very attentive and by this point, at least four had checked in to see how my shopping experience was going. All of them were wearing orange or white outfits.
At that point in the day, around 11 AM, they didn't have a crowd of other customers to help.
By no coincidence, orange seemed to be everywhere. Mannequins in both the children's and intimates sections were sporting tons of the color.
One of the cashiers had about eight people ready to checkout.
This is the Liz Claiborne section, one of the other many "store within a store" boutiques that are a central part of JCPenney's turnaround plan.
The prom section was getting some of the most foot traffic around the store. Here are some of the formal dresses on display.
JCPenney's prices are definitely some of the cheapest you'll find for clothes in Manhattan.
By the time I left, far more people were heading downstairs to JCPenney than coming up.
What's the deal with Joe Fresh?
