106: Is JCPenney the Best Department Store? (Part 1, Rebroadcast)
An Old Timey Podcast
An Old Timey Podcast
4.9 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 3 June 2026
⏱️ 89 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Howdy, History Hoes! This month, we’re getting some rest and relaxation. We’ll be back in July to bring you some piping hot stories from history. But for now, we thought you might enjoy a replay of our series on the history JCPenney – the greatest department store in the world.
And if you miss us, you can get new content on patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. For just $5, you can binge our catalog of monthly bonus episodes and chitty chat the day away in our Discord!
Normie C starts this series with a bold claim: That JCPenney is the best department store ever. This raises a lot of questions. Questions like… Really? Has Norm been to other department stores? Also, really??
In Part 1, Norm loads us up with all the context we’ll ever need about James Cash Penney Jr. A poor farm boy from Missouri, Penney would eventually create a chain of department stores with more than 2,000 locations worldwide. (If you’re able, please listen to this episode while wearing your finest St. John's Bay polo.)
Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from:
Currey, Mary Elizabeth. Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penney. Dissertations-G, 1993.
Kruger, David Delbert. J.C. Penney: The Man, the Store, and American Agriculture. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2017.
Penney, James Cash. Fifty Years with the Golden Rule. Harper and Brothers, 1950.
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Transcript
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| 0:34.4 | with Indeed. Yes, thanks. I think think that makes sense send over the projections and |
| 0:39.3 | let's sort out next steps oh that's creamy velvety hmm properly good simply sensational |
| 0:51.8 | chock or lush where have you been all my life? |
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| 1:06.1 | Howdy history hoes. This month, Kristen and I are on break for some rest and relaxation. |
| 1:11.7 | We'll be back in July to bring you your favorite hot and sexy stories from history. |
| 1:16.5 | But for now, we thought you might enjoy a trip back to the past with a replay of our series on the history of J.C. Penny, the greatest department store in the world. |
| 1:24.9 | Isn't that right, Kristen? |
| 1:26.0 | That is right. |
| 1:27.1 | You know, it's funny at first, |
| 1:28.5 | I had always joked about doing a series on JCPenney, and then I actually started doing the research, |
| 1:34.5 | and I was pretty fascinated by this man's story. And it's now one of my favorite series that we've |
| 1:39.5 | ever done. My favorite feedback we've ever gotten is on this series in particular. |
| 1:45.5 | Anytime anyone recommends it, they're always like, you're not going to believe it. |
| 1:49.0 | But the JCPenney series is actually quite good. |
| 1:52.4 | And it really is. |
... |
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