J.C. Penney Debuts Birthday Bear

Plano, TX—In honor of its centennial anniversary next year, cataloger/retailer J.C. Penney, has created James the 100th Anniversary Bear. The mohair bear is inspired by and named after James Cash Penney, who founded the J.C. Penney Co. in 1902.

James the bear sells for $250, $10 of which goes to the J.C. Penney Afterschool program, and is available at jcpenney.com. You’ll be able to buy James in the J.C. Penney Big Gift Book catalog in August and in J.C. Penney stores in December. But if you want one, don’t wait too long—Giengen, Germany-based manufacturer Margarete Steiff GmbH will cease production of the bear on April 14,2002— the 100th anniversary of the date when Penney opened his first store in Kemmerer, WY.