| (1875
- 1971) |
| Inducted: |
1976 |
| Region: |
MidWest |
| Industry: |
Retail
|
|
Penney started managing a dry goods store in Wyoming at 26. He and his backers created a chain system in which the manager-partner of each store trained a man who would be sent out to establish another store. His service, thrift, and talented managers formed the basis of the rapidly expanding chain. At the end of 1912, there were 34 stores. By the beginning of the 1920s, 197 JC Penney stores operated from coast to coast under the slogan “A Nationwide Institution.” Today, there are JCPenney’s stores in the United States, Chile, and Mexico. |
