J.C. PENNEY'S

EVER WONDER WHERE SAM WALTON GOT MUCH OF HIS EARLY TRAINING--READ ON!

The Wal-Mart story is part of American folk lore and history. Mr. Sam (he liked that name) received early marketing and selling advice from John Cash Penney.

Mr.Sam worked thru TG &Y supply channels to fill the demand for his first three stores. He could not get the supplies fast enough. He went to Dallas to see Mr.Gibson who had a large chain of discount stores and was asked if he (Mr. Sam) had 100K dollars for collateral. He said no and Gibson threw him out of his office. (Anyone seen a Gibson store lately?)

Back to J.C. Penney--he would often sit in his car outside a store and count the customers that went in and how many came out with Penney's shopping bags. He would evaluate the manager accordingly. (I learned much about Mr. Penney from a retired Penney's store manager here in Shawnee.)

Mr. Penney was having a lunch interview with a man he wanted to place in a top company position. The food came and the interviewee immediately pick up the salt shaker and put lots of salt on his food. Mr. Penney immediately stopped the interview and said I don't want a man working for me who makes decisions before he knows the facts!

The closest Penney's store to us was in Seymour (during my school days). I loved to go there and watch the money canister that ran from each check out point to the cashier on the second floor. Change was made and the canister sent back to the clerk who gave the customer the product and change! Guess Mr. Penny had a trust issue.

The Seymour store had a large selection of candy and pretzels. That was about the only time we had sweets in the house. My Dad still likes  those large puffy orange circus peanuts. I ate too many as a kid. Can't stand them today.