JCPenney Bringing In-Store Beauty Experience to Eastwood Mall

NILES, Ohio — On Friday, JCPenney is opening a new, inclusive, in-store beauty shopping experience at the Eastwood Mall.

Niles is one of 10 cities selected for the launch of the retailer’s new JCPenney Beauty department ahead of a national rollout in 2023. The department is designed to meet customers’ needs regardless of age, gender, race, skin tone, hair type, beauty regimen or budget. It features more than 170 brands “from tried-and-true favorites to fresh indie finds to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) founded,” including makeup skincare, haircare, styling tools, fragrance, nail care and bath and body, according to a release.

“It’s a wonderful thing,” says Joe Bell, spokesman for Cafaro Co., which owns and operates Eastwood Mall. “It’s going to be very attractive to their clientele.”

Having Eastwood as one of the first 10 locations shows that JCPenney views the mall and the Mahoning Valley as a “vibrant and competitive marketplace” for the new JCPenney Beauty concept, Bell says. It also fits in with the overall development at Eastwood Mall and Cafaro’s strategy “to evolve the shopping center to meet the needs of customers today.”

Other locations are planned for Davenport, Fla., Dearborn, Mich., Greenville, N.C., McAllen and Mesquite, Texas, Springfield, Mo., Saint Cloud, Minn., Trumbull, Conn. and Whittier, Calif.

JCPenney Beauty is working in partnership with Thirteen Lune, an inclusive e-commerce site founded by Nyakio Grieco, a beauty entrepreneur and founder of Nyakio Beauty, and Patrick Herning, the founder of 11 Honoré, a luxury plus size fashion label, according to the release.

Thirteen Lune is designed to inspire the discovery of beauty brands created by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color founders that resonate with all backgrounds. Of the 170-plus brands available at JCPenney Beauty, 39 are from Thirteen Lune including Buttah Skin, Bossy Cosmetics, Mischo Beauty, Pholk Beauty, Prados Beauty, Sara Happ, Spraise, Vernon François and Wander Beauty.

Gallery images include displays from the JCPenney Beauty department. (Images: JCPenney)

The carefully crafted assortment showcases indie and BIPOC-founded brands that deliver on the unique beauty needs of JCPenney customers, according to the release. Thirteen Lune’s inclusion in JCPenney Beauty marks the first ever brick-and-mortar presence for the partner.

Grand opening is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. on Oct. 22.

Pictured at top: Thirteen Lune is one of the companies featured at the new JCPenney Beauty at Eastwood Mall, and comprises 39 of the 170-plus brands in the space. It’s the first brick-and-mortar retail presence for the company. (Image: JCPenney)

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.