Shopping can be exhausting as you march diligently from one aisle to another confident that just the right outfit is around the corner. When you've finally found the right item the hope begins to build that it might actually be there in you size. Hours later, you might come out with your prized outfit or you could be empty handed. Oh the trials of retail shopping! On the other hand, perhaps you do all your shopping online and simply wish you could actually see the product before you make a decision. Understanding this dilemma, J.C. Penney created the experience store which is a unique amalgamation of these seemingly disparate shopping styles. Through technology, Penney's was able to reduce the clutter and enhance the experience for their customers helping them find exactly what they want. The recently closed "pop-up" store at Times Square is definitely noteworthy because of the fabulous experience Penney's was able to generate through their web page and "flagship" store.
Throughout the month of March Penney's settled into the old NY Times building, taking up the three-floor, 15,000-sq.-ft space. What visitors found was fascinating. The building offered no merchandise to be immediately taken home, but rather housed interactive touch screen kiosks that linked shoppers to www.jcp.com, where more than 300,000 items are available for purchase. The North-facing exterior of the installation featured a huge J. C. Penney's billboard, which showcased the theme: "It's all inside." Inside the store, samples of upscale, fashionable merchandise was showcased, like home goods samples that were shown on the third floor.

J.C. Penney public relations coordinator Brenda Romero explained the reasoning behind creating a physical store where shoppers could do their online shopping. "We're testing how shoppers are reacting to the availability of ordering merchandise online from within the store. More than anything, it's just about creating an easy and exciting shopping experience, whether the customers shops through the store, through the catalog or online." The J.C. Penney Experience store combines the fun of going shopping with the simplicity and availability of shopping online. Shoppers who purchase items through the Kiosks were guaranteed to find exactly what they needed without having to drag around their purchase for the rest of the day. It would seem that this system adopted by Penney's in which shoppers can purchase the company's entire range of merchandise at interactive kiosks, marks a significant development in the history of retail. Perhaps the traveling virtual superstores could become a part of retail's near future as stores can "pop-up," make a great presence and then maintain its shoppers through the Internet. This is just another case of how technology is facilitating the experiential aspects of everyday life.