The Big Flop - JCPenney Sells Out with Joel Kim Booster and Scott Seiss | 39

JCPenney Sells Out with Joel Kim Booster and Scott Seiss | 39

06/10/24 • 49 min

2 Listeners

When JCPenney, the 100-year-old department store, decided to rebrand in 2011, they sought the best in the biz to give them a makeover. Enter Ron Johnson, the affable retail genius behind the Apple Store. Hailed as a techy visionary, Johnson was supposed to reinvent the brand. Instead, he alienated customers with high prices and a baffling shopping experience. Martha Stewart and a tea kettle that somehow actually looked like Hitler all contributed to this failed experiment that cost the once beloved company billions.

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Previous Episode

Olestra: The Crappiest Flop of All with Kevin James Thornton | 38

After 30 years of development, Procter & Gamble rolled out a new, calorie-free oil substitute with the luxurious name, Olestra. This “miracle food” was supposed to revolutionize junk food and allow snackers to eat all the chips and crackers they could cram down their gullets without gaining any weight. Unfortunately for Procter & Gamble, Olestra did not help them meet their bottom line. Did customers have trouble swallowing this new and innovative product? Or did they just not like having "anal leakage"?!

Kevin James Thornton (American Queer, This Ends in Paris) joins Misha to share his gut reactions on Olestra's fallout.

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Next Episode

New Coke Goes Flat with Preacher Lawson and Paul F. Tompkins | 40

In the early 90’s, an earth shattering event occurred that would change the face of American culture forever: Coca-Cola changed their recipe. New Coke was supposed to be sweeter to combat the rising popularity of Pepsi, but the customer reaction was decidedly sour. Lawsuits and public outrage contributed to the PR Nightmare - somehow hiring Bill Cosby as their spokesperson wasn’t the worst business decision Coca-Cola made that year!

Preacher Lawson (My Name Is Preacher, America’s Got Talent) and Paul F. Tompkins (BoJack Horseman, The Great North) join Misha to savor the sweet, sweet Flop that is New Coke.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.