Jacques Penné or Jean Claude Penné or Jacques Pennay (JCPenney nickname)
JCPenney, a department store, was founded by James Cash Penney in 1902 in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The faux French nickname of “Jacques Penné” (or Jacques Pennay) for “J. C. Penney” has been cited in print since at least 1954, but became popular in the 1990s. The nicknames “Jean Claude Penné” and “Jacques Charles Penné” are less frequently used.
Another nickname of J. C. Penney, used by some Mexican-Americans, is “El Centavo” (Spanish for the cent or the penny).
“Jacques Penné“is one of severall fake French names for retail store chains, including “Tarzhay/Tarjay” (for Target) and “Chez Marshalls” (for Marshalls).
Wikipedia: J. C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (formerly Penney’s) (NYSE: JCP) is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many small markets.
Most JCPenney stores are located in suburban shopping malls. Previously, most stores were located in downtown areas. As shopping malls became more popular in the latter half of the 20th century, JCPenney followed the trend by relocating its stores to anchor the malls. In more recent years, the chain has continued to follow consumer traffic, echoing the retailing trend of opening some standalone stores, including some next door to competitors. Certain stores are located in power centers and can be considered big-box stores. The company has been an Internet retailer since 1998. It has streamlined its catalog and distribution while undergoing renovation improvements at store level.
11 May 1954, Long Beach (CA) Press-Telegram, “Beach Combing” with Malcolm Epley, pg. B1, col. 1:
A COUPLE of L. B. society lasses. looking for something different in theway of afternoon dresses, made a tour of the fancy shops in Pasadena, Beverly Hills, etc., and came home disappointed.
Then they happened into the J. C. Penney store here and found just what they wanted.
At the next affair they attended, the frocks made quite a hit, and everybody wanted to know where they got them.
“At Jacques Penne’s,” they reported, and related offhand that they’d been to Pasadena.
14 June 1992, Roanoke (VA) Times, “Smart Shopping takes work” by Peggy Hampton, pg. B1:
I’ve had people make remarks that they wouldn’t be caught dead at JCPenney and I say, “What about Jacques Penné?”
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From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Douglas Harper)
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1993 16:46:07 GMT
Local: Wed, Mar 17 1993 11:46 am
Subject: Re: HoJo’s, etc.
I wonder whether we’ll ever see “Jacques Penne’” or “Monkey Ward’s” trademarked 😉
Google Books
How to Talk American:
A guide to our native tongues
By Jim Crotty
Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin
1997
Pg. 384:
Jacques Penné: JC Penney. a low-priced department store chain.
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From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Luvanotter)
Date: 31 Oct 2001 17:19:22 GMT
Local: Wed, Oct 31 2001 12:19 pm
Subject: Re: Help - clarifying the reason of the reward
“The owner of Gateway doesn’t pick his friends by social or economic class, nor does he try to rub anyone’s nose in it. Heck, the owner of Gateway even shops at JC Penney!”
Sounds like my kind of guy! (But “Jacques Penne’” is a little high-brow for me.
Jazcorner.com’s Speakeasy
jazzy mary
May-14th-2003, 11:14 AM
JC Penney (which we always call Jacques Charles Penne in a French-y way).
Hey Freak!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Jacques Penné
(...)
And then I mention Jacques Penné (Pen-NAY). You know, instead of J.C. Penney’s. That’s what we always called it when I was growing up. Joelle, of course, has never heard of it, and thinks I’m crazy.
Straight Dope Message Board
Scarlett67
03-27-2008, 12:54 PM
Jacques Pen-NAY
(...)
Cheez_Whia
03-28-2008, 03:02 PM
J C Penney-Jacques Pen-yay
I mean…What?!?
Jean Claude Penney (Pen-yay) To Open In NYC
This entry was posted on Monday, July 27th, 2009 at 6:46 am
You can do all the upscale advertising you want. So, whether you are Target, K-Mart or JCPenney, get over yourselves right now, because smoke and mirrors is not going to replace better merchandise.
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Nickname that store
November 30, 2010 8:53 AM
(...)
JC Penney is Jean Claude PennAY
posted by littleflowers at 12:23 PM on November 30, 2010