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JCPenney Unveils Three Reusable Shopping Bags Designed by Top Design School Students
JCPenney Unveils Three Reusable Shopping Bags Designed by Top Design School Students
Published 04-02-09
Submitted by JCPenney Company
PLANO, Texas, April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Blending its emphasis on style with its concern for the environment, JCPenney partnered with several major design schools to fashion its latest series of reusable shopping bags, which arrive in stores April 8. From 58 entries, three stand-out winners from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in California, Savannah College of Art and Design and the University of Cincinnati were selected by a committee of JCPenney judges.
The limited edition bags, featuring the designers' signatures on the bottom, will be exclusively displayed and sold in more than 600 JCPenney stores. JCPenney's original "Green Grass" reusable bag will continue to be sold in all stores, and beginning April 8, JCP Rewards Members will earn 50 bonus points with their first purchase of any reusable bag.
The winning students also each received a $1,000 JCPenney gift card and a trip to the JCPenney Home Office in Plano, Texas, where they met with executives and Associates and were recognized during a Company-wide rally.
Jocelyn Goode of Oakland, Calif., graduated from The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in March. Featuring a fun, fresh wildflower design, her colorful bag mixes style, function and responsibility. Said Jocelyn: "I hope my bag inspires others to find creative ways to re-use what they have."
Emily Taylor, a senior at the University of Cincinnati College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning, is a native of Cincinnati and expects to graduate in June with a degree in graphic design. "My design embodies what the green shopping experience is about," she says. Her clever take on a recycling symbol for shoppers illustrates that the Company recycles more than 160 million hangers each year.
Ethan Waterman, whose hometown is Atlanta, majored in graphic design and graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in March. Ethan's simple, fashionable design showcases an overlapping green leaf motif. "I designed my bag to encourage and motivate others to incorporate green thinking into their lifestyle," Ethan said.
"This contest gave the students an opportunity to showcase their creative talent, and the three winning designs were exceptional among the many outstanding entries we received," said Mike Boylson, chief marketing officer of JCPenney. "Our customers are concerned about the environment and looking for ways to easily integrate green living into their everyday lifestyle. By incorporating great design, we're offering them an eco-friendly bag they'll be proud to use time and again."
Simply Green is an exclusive-to-JCPenney designation that assists customers in making environmentally conscious purchases. JCPenney private brand merchandise with this designation is identified as Organic, Renewable, Recycled or Reduced (produced in a manner that reduces environmental impact). The 100 percent cotton bags, which retail for $1.99, help protect the environment by reducing the reliance on and use of plastic bags, keeping them out of landfills.
With proceeds benefiting the JCPenney Afterschool Fund, the bags support JCPenney's comprehensive corporate social responsibility program, JCPenney C.A.R.E.S., which integrates the Company's efforts to achieve positive impacts in the areas of Community, Associates, Responsible Sourcing, Environment and Sustainable Products.
Media Relations
Tim Lyons; (972) 431-3400; jcpcorpcomm@jcpenney.com
Ann Marie Bishop; (972) 431-3400; jcpcorpcomm@jcpenney.com
About JCPenney C.A.R.E.S.
JCPenney has built a legacy of operating in an ethical and socially responsible manner. In 2007, the Company launched its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative - C.A.R.E.S. - stemming from the vision that JCPenney cares for its Community, Associates, Responsible Sourcing, Environment and Sustainable Products. The Company's commitment to social responsibility reflects its philosophy that "Every Day Matters" - for its customers, Associates, communities, investors and suppliers. Additional information on JCPenney's CSR initiatives can be found at http://www.jcpenney.net/social_resp/
About JCPenney
JCPenney is one of America's leading retailers, operating 1,101 department stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as one of the largest apparel and home furnishing sites on the Internet, www.jcp.com, and the nation's largest general merchandise catalog business. Through these integrated channels, JCPenney offers a wide array of national, private and exclusive brands which reflect the Company's commitment to providing customers with style and quality at a smart price. Traded as "JCP" on the New York Stock Exchange, the Company posted revenue of $18.5 billion in 2008 and is executing its strategic plan to be the growth leader in the retail industry. Key to this strategy is JCPenney's "Every Day Matters" brand positioning, intended to generate deeper, more emotionally driven relationships with customers by fully engaging the Company's 150,000 Associates to offer encouragement, provide ideas and inspire customers every time they shop with JCPenney.
