• June 30, 2010

JCPenney says it will open a new store-within-a-store concept at 600 locations, highlighting Call It Spring, a new shoe and accessory brand made exclusively for Penney by Aldo Footwear. (Just a few weeks ago, Aldo announced that it would also create an exclusive label for Kohl's, a key competitor of JCPenney.)

Penney, based in Plano, Tex., says the new line will dramatically expand its modern footwear and accessory assortment, with 600 square-foot shops in Women's departments, and 400 square-foot units in Men's.

The concept-aimed at 15 to 30 year olds--is set to launch this fall in JCPenney's Manhattan store, roll out to 100 additional stores and on jcp.com in the spring, and then to 500 more locations in fall 2011.

The new shoe shops will be similar to its Sephora inside JCPenney beauty boutique, and MNG by Mango, JCPenney's exclusive fast fashion concept, which nods this fall.