J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. “SWOT is an acronym for the internal Strengths and Weaknesses of a firm and the environmental Opportunities and Threats facing that firm. SWOT analysis is a widely used technique through which managers create a quick overview of a company’s strategic situation. The technique is based on the assumption that an effective strategy derives from a sound “fit” between a firm’s internal resources (strengths and weaknesses) and its external situation (opportunities and threats). A good fit maximizes a firm’s strengths and opportunities and minimizes its weaknesses and threats. Accurately applied, this simple assumption has powerful implications for the design of a successful strategy.” J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. J.C. Penney Corporation (JC Penney) is one of the leading retailers in the US. The company offers a range of family apparel, jewelry, shoes, accessories and home furnishings products through a chain of department stores and ecommerce website, jcp.com. In addition, JC Penny is the largest general merchandise catalog retailer in the US. The company primarily operates in the US and is headquartered in Plano, Texas and employs 147,000 people. Page 1 of 2 J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Location of Factor TYPE OF FACTOR Favorable Internal Strengths Unfavorable Weaknesses ¾ Wide product and ¾ Strong decline in service offerings comparable store through multiple retail sales channel ¾ CustomerFIRST ¾ Continuous product recalls initiative ¾ Balanced brand portfolio External Opportunities ¾ Focus on expansion of in-shop Sephora stores ¾ Launching new exclusive and private label brands ¾ Investment in online format Page 2 of 2 Threats ¾ Weak financial projection for FY2010 ¾ Rising labor cost in the US ¾ Moderate new store openings