Hey - I'm visiting the South. There are 5 places to shop: Saks (a bit of a drive but still the fave), Macy's (meh- Macy's East is nothing compared to Macy's West), Target (YAY! 2nd fave after Saks), Belk (meh. just meh), and JCP.
I don't know a lot about JC Penney in other places but the one here in Trussville has really come up in the world. They have a Sephora in the store, a Mango section in the store (like not a knock-off line. The real line like I'm used to in Europe), adorable kid's clothes and the holy grail: CARTER'S on CLEARANCE. Almost every time I pop in here while I'm visiting.
I should explain: I visit the Greater Birmingham area regularly but live in Europe. I have a one year old. He destroys clothes like those viking guys in Clash of Clans destroy each other's magical lands. And speaking of magical lands, I enjoy the one created by the Magicians at Carter's. JCPenney has a great selection and always great deals.
I'm a yoga/Pilates/Dance aficionado and I can vouch for the quality of their in-hous Exersion (??) brand work out gear. I change gym clothes 2-3 times a day. I don't have time for Lulu Lemon all day long. Great price points in that area.
Of course I'm not going to be shopping for my everyday fashion, leather goods, shoes, etc here - they haven't caught up in that dept. But the areas they excel in: Children's, Home, Underpants (not the fancy kind - the kind you wear because you're a mom and/or you plan to be at the gym all day), pajamas...you get it.
Deducting 2 stars because I think they are ridiculously overpriced on quite a few brands of their own...I mean: It's still JCP. I'm not paying $70 for Juniors pajamas. Sorry!
Bears noting that they have cute fashion and sterling silver jewelry that is often on sale for extremely cheap prices and the super sweet sales staff are just that: super sweet. Clean store, clean bathrooms, pleasant shopping experience. And baby central. read more