Seven principles of a healthy indoor space include:

Keep it dry.

Keep it clean.

Keep it well ventilated.

Keep it pest free.

Keep it contaminant free.

Keep it safe.

Keep it well maintained.

Keep it dry. Damp and wet environments make it possible for dust mites, cockroaches, rodents, and molds to grow and thrive. Repair all plumbing and structural leaks immediately. Make sure rainwater flows away from the structure. Open windows or use exhaust fans so steam does not build up in bathrooms or kitchens.

Keep it clean. Clean environments help reduce pest infestations and exposure to harmful irritants, such as pollens, dust and toxic contaminants. First, try to keep these things outside. Then, use smooth and cleanable surfaces. Reduce clutter, as it serves as a place for pests to live and dust to accumulate. Always damp mop and dust, to keep from scattering dust into the air and having it settle somewhere else. Always follow label directions on cleaning products.

Keep it well ventilated. A supply of fresh air can help reduce exposure to indoor allergens and asthma triggers as well as other contaminants. The best solution is to install a ventilation system into the heating and cooling systems. If this is not possible, use exhaust fans and open windows, especially when cleaning, cooking, or using chemicals.

Keep it pest free. All pests, including cockroaches, mice and rats, require food, water, and shelter. If these are lacking, then pests will go elsewhere to live. The best approach in combatting pests is to use Integrated Pest Management. The three components of IPM are:

Monitor Know if you have pests, what they are, and how severe the infestation may be.

Prevent Keep the pests from getting inside by sealing all cracks and holes in the outside walls and making certain that food, water, and shelter are not easily available to pests.

Control Once the pest has been identified, first use the least toxic method of control, such as a trap. If pesticides are needed, use the appropriate type, placing it where pests are usually found in cracks and crevices.

Keep it contaminant free. Contaminants that can be found inside include lead, radon, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, environmental tobacco smoke and carbon-monoxide. To keep indoor environments contaminant free, test for radon, install carbon monoxide detectors, use lead-safe practices to fix deteriorating lead paint, establish smoke-free environments and store and use chemicals, paints and cleaning products safely.

Keep it safe. Many injuries occur indoors, especially within the home. These include falls, burns, and poisonings. Prevent injuries by properly labeling and storing all chemicals, including medicines and personal-care products, securing loose rugs, keeping stairs in good repair, removing hard and sharp surfaces and installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Keep it well maintained. Poorly maintained structures are at risk for pests, moisture, deteriorating lead paint and other structural problems. Inspect, clean and repair routinely. Take care of minor repairs and problems before they become large repairs and major problems.

UT Extension provides a gateway to the University of Tennessee as the outreach unit of the Institute of Agriculture. With an office in every Tennessee county, UT Extension delivers educational programs and research-based information to citizens throughout the state. In cooperation with Tennessee State University, UT Extension works with farmers, families, youth and communities to improve lives by addressing problems and issues at the local, state and national levels.

For more information on this or other family and consumer sciences-related topics, contact Shelly Barnes, family and consumer sciences Extension agent for UT Extension in Wilson County. Barnes may be reached at sbarnes@utk.edu or 615-444-9584.

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Shelly Barnes: Providing safe and healthy places to live, work, play - Lebanon Democrat

If you are getting a new ac unit installed, ensure that the installation is perfect. The performance of your ac unit in the long run depends on the air conditioning installation in Santa Fe.

Santa Fe, NM - March 15, 2017 - (Newswire.com)

Irrespective of the fact whether you are in need of commercial or residential air conditioning installation in Santa Fe or in Albuquerque, there is one company that you can rely on. Aztec Mechanical, Inc., is that one name to trust when it comes to taking care of all your air conditioning requirements. Aztec Mechanical, Inc., is different from the other companies in the same field. They employ a design-build concept that is known to be more cost-effective than traditional methods. The concept involves systematic value engineering thus ensuring maximum efficiency.

Aztec Mechanical, Inc., is one of the premier providers of the design-build approach. By following this approach, they ensure that all the services are contracted to a single entity or the design-build-contractor. By assigning any ac related job to this mechanical contractor in Albuquerque, you will have the peace of mind that the job is in good hands. Not only that, the contractor will bear the responsibilities of the entire project right from the start to finish.

Working with Aztec Mechanical, Inc., along these lines works as being a full-service-design-build company, they become your single point of reference for all ac related requirements. You do not have to deal with the hassles of dealing with numerous independent contractors. There is a single source of accountability, clearer remedies, cost savings, improved quality and greater efficiency.

Commercial air conditioning installation in Santa Fe is a complex process, and it is not easy to find a company that has expert HVAC design-build specialists. Aztec Mechanical, Inc., has the perfect resource to handle the job, and therefore is the best choice for ac installation in Santa Fe.

Call their 24 hour heating and cooling emergency service line at 505-991-7395.

About The Company Aztec Mechanical, Inc., is one of the most trusted HVAC contractors offering air conditioning installation in Santa Fe. They are also the chosen mechanical contractor in Albuquerque providing a wide range of HVAC solutions for both residential and commercial clients.

Press Release Service by Newswire.com

Original Source: Perfect Air Conditioning Installation in Santa Fe Pomises Optimum Performance

Excerpt from:
Perfect Air Conditioning Installation in Santa Fe Pomises Optimum Performance - Digital Journal

Maurice Alarie likes to crunch numbers.

The retired Quispamsis engineer keeps all his bills and tracks expenses on a spreadsheet.

He knows, for instance, that over the past 10 years he's paid an average 11 cents per kilowatt hour for electric heat for his 4000-square-foot ranch home near Meenans Cove.

His house is well-insulated and partially heated with a wood stove in the basement.

When Alarie decided to look into installing a pair of mini-split heat pumps he asked suppliers for both an estimate and a cost-benefit breakdown.

No one, he said, was willing to go that far.

His own calculations, however, showed installation of a heat pump made no sense, he said.

"At 11 cents a kilowatt hour your payback calculations aren't very favourable tobuying these heat pumps," said Alarie.

"Are you better off just turning up your thermostat and using an extra 50 bucks worth of electricity every month through the heating months?"

Although NB Power ended its stand-alone rebate at the beginning of October last year, it offers a $500 subsidy for a heat pump installed in combination with a major insulation upgrade.

Alarie saidhis current annual heating cost from electricity is $630.

He estimated the heat pumps would reduce his bill by a little over one-thirdthat amount if he didn't factor in the cost to pay for the units and their installation.

"Twenty bucks a month, $240 a year, unit's going to cost over $3,000 for one unit. I can't justify the payback. It's getting into 10 years for one, 20 years if I get two, if they don't break down."

Heather Shuve says she is saving $100 a month after factoring in the rental of her year-old heat pump from Saint John Energy. (CBC)

Alarie says there's no question a heat pump is more efficient. It is the cost of the system he is questioning.

He does not believe NB Power should be offering subsidies for heat-pump conversions, and suggests homeowners direct their moneytoward added insulation or replacing leaky windows and doors.

Heather Shuve says she's certain she made the right decision when she installed a mini-split heat pump in her west Saint John home last year.

Saint John Energy rents mini-split heat pumps to homeowners both inside and outside the city for $48.99 a month.

Shuve blames her cathedral ceilings for what had been frightening monthly bills.

"Heating could run between seven and eight hundred dollars a month through the winter so quite expensive," said Shuve, who estimates she has reduced energy costs by $1,800 over the past year.

"Since it's been installed I have easily saved $100 a month. And that's after I've paid the $50 per month rental fee."

JenniferCoughlan, Saint John Energy's supervisor for consumer products and business development, said cost savings depend on several factors, including insulation levels, hours that people are home, preferred level for heating and cooling and the number of occupants in the house.

"Internet research on various sites indicates that mini-split ductless heat pumps use 1 kW to heat, compared with 3 kW to heat with electric baseboard," Coughlan said.

"Thus if you are heating a similar area with a mini-split heat pump as opposed to a baseboard, you should be using less kWs."

View post:
Is a heat pump the best option? Maybe not, says engineer - CBC.ca

(MENAFN Editorial) Toledo, Ohio-based Action Heating, Air conditioning and Electrical, a certified Better Business Bureau company, who specialize in the supply, installation and servicing of HVAC systems have launched a quality service awareness campaign. Concerned by the number of reports of HVAC contractors not delivering a quality service or systems, Action decided to live up to their name and get proactive.

More information is available at http://thiscompanyrocks.net/hvac.

Wanting to raise customer awareness of reputable HVAC services, Action hopes customers will avoid buying the wrong system or a new system when all they needed was a part. Launching their campaign in March, Action, who deliver Toledo air conditioning repairs and offer 24-hour furnace repair Toledo Ohio feel more people need to get a second opinion before agreeing to buy or repair a HVAC system.

According to reports, thousands of people, every year, buy a new HVAC system after a breakdown because a contractor has told them they need one. However, a simple part would have been enough to get the system running, which would have been far more cost-effective for the customer than purchasing a whole system. Other HVAC buyers were sold systems that are too big for the property. In both instances, the contracto is seeking to make larger sales from a customer that is not aware of the situation.

Therefore, by raising customer awareness of these activities, Action feel they can prevent people from paying too much. Action also believes that when needing an HVAC serviced it's important to ensure that the company is genuine. Many reports indicate that some HVAC contractors are not replacing parts, but are charging for them or that they are saying that they are from a reputable company when they are not.

Action provides quality heating and cooling parts and is one of the most reputable Toledo HVAC companies in Ohio. With years of experience and winning personalities, Action is dedicated to delivering exceptional service and HVAC solutions that improve the quality of living.

Mike and Terry Williams, the owners of Action said, We've delivered an honest and dependable HVAC service around Toledo for 50-years, and we feel that all homeowners should receive great service, timely repairs and prompt installation by certified technicians. These technicians should be trained and experienced at handling all HVAC and electrical needs.

To find out more about Action call 419-472-9223 or click on the link above.

MENAFN1503201700703206ID1095315913

See the original post:
Toledo Heating Air conditioning & Electrical Firm Launch HVAC Awareness Campaign - MENAFN.COM

MILWAUKEE, March 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ The YORK brand of Johnson Controls will continue its sponsorship of Building Homes for Heroes through 2017 and provide veterans with home comfort systems.

Building Homes for Heroes is a national nonprofit organization that recognizes the tremendous sacrifices of men and women of the United States Armed Forces by supporting the needs of severely wounded or disabled soldiers and their families. The organization strives to build or renovate quality homes and gift them to severely injured veterans nationwide, mortgage-free.

2017 marks the fourth consecutive year that YORK and Building Homes for Heroes have worked together. Through its sponsorship of the Building Homes for Heroes program, Johnson Controls, along with YORK distributors and independent contractors nationwide, has donated quality heating and cooling systems, including installation, labor and on-going maintenance, to over 40 military families since 2014.

"Partnering with our network of local independent contractors to provide our wounded veterans with home comfort systems is another way we give back to the communities where we live and work," said Liz Haggerty, vice president and general manager, Johnson Controls Unitary Products Group.

Participating YORK contractors are installing YORK Affinity heating and cooling systems for reliable and energy-efficient home comfort. In addition, the company is planning to install smart thermostats as part of its 2017 sponsorship. The new YORK touch-screen residential thermostat incorporates smart technology to communicate with both conventional and connected heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. Homeowners can control their system remotely using their smartphone to monitor and adjust settings for up to six zones/rooms to save energy and feel more comfortable. The thermostat is also user friendly, with an easy-to-use touch-screen interface and remote programming features that are helpful for the disabled.

"We are honored to play a role in giving veterans a comfortable home," said Jim Probst, president of George Brazil Air Conditioning & Heating, Phoenix, Arizona. "We've been a part of seven Building Homes for Heroes homes during the three years we've been the local heating and air-conditioning contractor for the program. Every time we're contacted to help, we jump at the chance, because there's no greater way for us to show these vets how grateful we are for their service."

To learn more about Building Homes for Heroes, visit http://www.buildinghomesforheroes.org/. To learn more about Johnson Controls' commitment to its communities, visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/corporate-sustainability/social.

YORK products from Johnson Controls include energy-efficient, residential central air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces and accessories, and innovative light-commercial, packaged heating and cooling systems marketed through a national distribution network and delivered to home- and building-owners through qualified YORK heating and cooling contractors. For more information about YORK, visitwww.york.comor follow us onYouTubeand @YorkHVAC onTwitter.

About Johnson ControlsJohnson Controls is a global diversified technology and multi industrial leader serving a wide range of customers in more than 150 countries. Our 130,000 employees create intelligent buildings, efficient energy solutions, integrated infrastructure and next generation transportation systems that work seamlessly together to deliver on the promise of smart cities and communities. Our commitment to sustainability dates back to our roots in 1885, with the invention of the first electric room thermostat. We are committed to helping our customers win and creating greater value for all of our stakeholders through strategic focus on our buildings and energy growth platforms. For additional information, please visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow us @johnsoncontrols on Twitter.

About Johnson Controls' Building Technologies & SolutionsJohnson Controls' Building Technologies & Solutions has an unmatched portfolio of HVACR products and solutions to create more comfortable, safe and efficient buildings. Operating inmore than 150countries through a strong network of distribution channels, Building Technologies & Solutions' breadth of offerings help building owners, operators, engineers and consultants impact the full lifecycle of a building. Its market leadership is established through trusted brands such as YORK , Sabroe and Metasys as well as its smart building integration capabilities and energy financing solutions.For more information, visit http://www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow @JCI_BEnews.

CONTACT:

Ryan Nolan

Public Relations Program Manager

Building Technologies & Solutions, Johnson Controls

Work + 1 414 524 6170

Mobile + 1 414 378 9641

Ryan.P.Nolan@jci.com

SOURCE Johnson Controls

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Johnson Controls and Building Homes for Heroes'' partner to keep veterans comfortable in their homes - Broadway World

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Canada 11-03-2017. M & M Heating & Cooling is an experienced and dedicated HVAC company engaged to provide highly professional and skilled services. If heating or air conditioning system is not working well then you need technician to repair or service it. By hiring professional technicians, it will be easy for you to ensure good condition of your HVAC systems. Whether you are going to install new heating and cooling in Toronto or just want a service or need repair for the existing systems but professionals at M & M Heating & Cooling will definitely suit you.

Whatever, the weather is but having right kind of system installed can keep your family healthy in every kind of weather. To remain in good condition during both the summer and winter season is only possible with heating and cooling systems. With the help of professional technicians, it will be easy for you to ensure right performance of your HVAC systems. Having reference of leading HVAC contractors will not only give you professional service but also give you peace of mind.

When it comes to selection of HVAC technicians to take care of your needs regarding heating and cooling in Toronto then you need to consider a number of things. If you want to install a new system or just want repair for existing one then hiring professional technicians can make difference. The professional technicians must have vast expertise and knowledge to deal with your HVAC systems. Our certified, trained and qualified technicians will definitely provide you the system that best suit to your needs.

Anyone looking for the exceptional range of HVAC systems or looking for the experts to do efficient service, repair or installation should prefer M & M Heating & Cooling. It is the leading company will help you with smart heating and cooling solutions at the price you can afford.

For additional detail on HVAC companies in Toronto simply visit at: mmheatingcooling.ca/

M & M Heating & Cooling is the company was founded in 2005. It is proudly serving people with needs regarding heating and cooling systems. It is always ready to take care of your heating and cooling needs and can easily provide the best solution possible.

When it comes to repair, service or installation of heating and cooling system in Toronto then M & M Heating & Cooling is the company to contact.

232 High Park Ave. Toronto, Ontario M6P 2S4 Canada

This release was published on openPR.

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Find the HVAC contractors in Toronto for heating and cooling ... - satPRnews (press release)

March 13, 2017 12:27 ET | Source: JC Penney Corporation Inc

Test stores feature service displays for HVAC, bathroom remodeling, home water solutions and more

PLANO, Texas - (March 13, 2017) - As homeowners continue to invest a larger percentage of their disposable income on home upgrades, JCPenney [NYSE: JCP] is capitalizing on the strong housing market by launching JCPenney Home Services(TM) this month. By partnering with the industry's leading manufacturers and service providers, such as Samsung and Trane, JCPenney Home Services is planning to test six programs in select markets to establish its relevance and appeal among shoppers. These programs will provide turn-key services for heating and cooling systems, bathroom remodeling, quick ship and installed blinds, whole home water solutions and awnings, as well as easy-to-install smart home devices.

"With the resurgence of the housing market, consumers are spending more than $300 billion annually to upgrade their homes since nearly two-thirds of the nation's homes are over 30 years old.* There is a tremendous opportunity to capture additional revenue and minimize our dependence on apparel by catering our services to female homeowners who represent over 70 percent of our loyal customer base, and make the primary decisions regarding any home renovations," said Marvin Ellison, chairman and chief executive officer of JCPenney. "These are categories that JCPenney offered in its assortment many years ago, and we believe the timing is right to re-enter home services in order to acquire available market share and differentiate our business from our traditional competitors and pure e-commerce retailers."

Each program will be presented as an informative, compact display located within the home department in approximately 100 stores this spring, with services and marketing varying by location. The Company has also launched a digital storefront at jcpenneyhomeservices.com, where users can shop the range of professional services offered and schedule an in-home consultation. An authorized contractor will then determine the scope of the job and provide an estimate for the total cost. JCPenney will introduce a JCPenney Home Services credit card this summer, enabling customers to take advantage of attractive promotional financing offers.

Established homeowners investing in older homes look to nationally recognized, trusted brands to help with their home improvement plans, which is why JCPenney has chosen to partner with some of the leading providers in each industry for installation and service. Customers will have the peace of mind that their project is completed to their total satisfaction, as these brands employ authorized installers who are experienced, licensed and insured. The Company is leveraging her confidence in JCPenney to deliver fast and efficient improvements from a retail brand she has long trusted to furnish her family's home.

"JCPenney has the unique competitive advantage of a strong female customer base who has a vision for the home upgrade she wants, and will research various options and companies that offer a high level of quality and service. Much like our successful return to major appliances, we will pursue these new home services initiatives using the same multimarket test-and-learn approach," Ellison added. "Home services presents a low-risk opportunity to drive sales with minimal investment in inventory and capital resources since we are partnering with the industry's leading providers for service and installation."

Living Smarter at Home Smart home technology is surging in popularity as consumers are finding more convenience, safety and security in connected devices, as well as discovering energy savings with automation. One-third of U.S. homes have at least one connected device today and within four years, household penetration is expected to increase up to 60 percent.**

JCPenney has chosen to pilot a compelling selection of smart home technology in select stores this spring. A unique category addition to the home department, JCPenney has partnered with the industry's leading brands like Samsung to provide simple smart home automation. With Samsung SmartThings, consumers can control and automate lighting, cameras, thermostats, door locks and more, from the iOS or Android SmartThings app or supported voice assistants. By offering shoppers the most intelligent technology available, JCPenney is helping to make customers' homes smarter, safer and more comfortable.

JCPenney Home Services complements the soft and hard home furnishings available at JCPenney, including major appliances, furniture and flooring. A popular destination for ready-made curtains, blinds, shades and decorative hardware, JCPenney has also offered custom design and installation of in-home window treatments for nearly 60 years. This service is available today in more than 350 locations.

For historical images of home services at JCPenney, please contact DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University at degolyer@smu.edu.

For current store images of the home department, please visit: http://www.jcpnewsroom.com/news-releases/2017/0313_expands_home_services.html

* John Burns Real Estate Consulting and the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies ** Statista, market research firm

JCPenney Media Relations: (972) 431-3400 or jcpnews@jcp.com Follow @jcpnews on Twitter for the latest announcements and Company information.

About JCPenney: J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE:JCP), one of the nation's largest apparel and home furnishings retailers, is on a mission to ensure every customer's shopping experience is worth her time, money and effort. Whether shopping jcp.com or visiting one of over 1,000 store locations across the United States and Puerto Rico, she will discover a broad assortment of products from a leading portfolio of private, exclusive and national brands. Supporting this value proposition is the warrior spirit of over 100,000 JCPenney associates worldwide, who are focused on the Company's three strategic priorities of strengthening private brands, becoming a world-class omnichannel retailer and increasing revenue per customer. For additional information, please visit jcp.com.

###

Related Articles

Excerpt from:
JCPENNEY ACCELERATES ITS EXPANSION IN HOME SERVICES BY TESTING REPLACEMENT AND ... - GlobeNewswire (press release)

Fivefactors are holding back the energy transition to a zero emissions Europe by 2050, writes Thomas Nowak.

Thomas Nowak is Secretary-General of the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA).

The way we use energy in our society needs to change if we want to keep global warming well below 2C, as stipulated at COP21 in Paris. This transition needs to include decision-makers on all levels and must above all include citizens.

A world without fossil fuels seems daunting, but the energy transformation is already happening: its entering peoples psyches, production cost is going down, and its cleaning out our grids: in 2016, 86% of the new capacity built across Europe came from renewables, thats 21.1GW of new clean energy power entering our system.

This is true for electricity, but where is heating and cooling? The sector is responsible for 51% of final energy use in Europe and about 27% of CO2 emissions. Decarbonising heating and cooling is a tremendous challenge: even in new buildings, the market uptake of low emission technologies is too slow and the renovation sub-sector is suffering from an even lower renovation rate.

Heating and cooling is a sector governed by tradition. If you need heat, you burn something this is common practice, understood and mostly unchanged since our early forefathers lived in caves. Cooling started with ice and quickly moved to electricity, using the refrigerant cycle. Important in everybodys daily lives, heating and cooling technology is hidden in basements and on rooftops connected via pipes and tubes to radiators, floor heating systems or ceiling boxes.

A good heating/cooling system is a working system out of sight, out of mind. On commercial levels and in industrial processes, the same applies on a much larger scale. Functionality and reliability have too often been prioritised over innovation: why change a running system? Heating and cooling is not characterised by short innovation cycles and many systems are operated even past their expected useful life. Yet, we do need to increase the speed of change and we need it to happen fast if we are to get to zero emissions by 2050, only 33 years away.

The energy transformation implies an overhaul of the entire value chain, from research and development to manufacturing to installation and maintenance. Todays heating industry is still dominated by fossil fuels with market shares of green heating solutions not even close to the level needed for reaching zero emissions.

But there is a bright side to it: technologies for a decarbonised sector exist and manufacturers know how to make and deploy low-to-zero emission 2050-ready heating solutions, air conditioning systems and cooling equipment. In the construction sector, the know-how to build, refurbish or renovate a building to near zero energy standards exists. And industry is experimenting with circular economy concepts that include reusing energy.

If technologies exist, what is the problem? Five key factors are inhibiting green solutions from being the most cost efficient and most easily deployed:

Addressing these points will help to unleash the power of individual, corporate, and municipal investments in favour of a more fully decarbonised heating and cooling system. This can be re-enforced further. Policymakers must give a strong signal to end-users and industries on the need for change and the incompatibility of fossil-based solutions with the 2050 goals to reach a zero emissions economy for Europe.

This years #DecarbHeat forumwill lay the groundwork for how to achieve that by taking stock of best practices in residential, commercial and industrial applications.

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The keys to decarbonising Europe's heating and cooling - EurActiv

J.C. Penney has started selling products such as bathtubs and power toolsonline and is expanding its services in some markets withbasicbathroomremodels, The Dallas Morning News reports.

The department store forayed into home improvementin 2016by selling kitchen and laundry appliances in 500 stores and later partnering with Trane to offerheating, ventilation and air conditioningsystems.

J.C. Penney CEO Marvin Ellison saysthese new ventures will help [the company] grow and de-emphasize the department stores dependence on apparel, according toThe Dallas Morning News.

CNBCreports that theinstallation services will be available through100 stores and will include bathroom remodeling, home heating and cooling systems, quick-ship and installed blinds, whole home water solutions, awnings and smart home technology.

Its a $300 billion market that we believe we have the opportunity to pick up some significant market share, Ellison says in theCNBCcoverage.

In addition, J.C. Penney will add 100 more appliance showrooms in 2017and begin offeringmore appliance brands, according to theDallas Business Journal.

The changes follow announcements that the retailer is closing 140 store locations and trimming its workforce by offering early retirement to thousands of employees.

The rest is here:
JC Penney Sees More Opportunities in Home Improvement - Hardware Retailing

Who says you can't come home?

J.C. Penney ( jcp ) is making a big bet on home remodel servicesa new arena for the retailerto help revive what had been a promising turnaround.

In a 100-store test that is likely to presage a rollout to hundreds more stores, the department store this spring will start offering services like bathroom remodeling and blinds installation, and selling and installing awnings, water systems, and smart home technology. It's a major departure for a retailer better known for its apparel and soft home goods like towels and sheets.

The six new service groups, being tested at stores in San Diego, San Antonio and Tampa, are branded together under the "JCPenney Home Services" rubric and will also include heating and cooling systems.

The incursion, coming on the heels of a disappointing holiday season for Penney, will take the retailer straight onto the turf of such well-established rivals in these areas as The Home Depot ( hd ) , Lowe's ( low ) and Best Buy ( bby ) .

The move could be risky, since customers have never thought of Penney as the go-to retailer to provide these services.

But Penney has its eyes squarely set on a more direct competitor that is a big player in these areas, Sears , with which Penney goes head-to-head in 400 malls. Penney is looking to poach sales and lift its sales per square foot with big ticket items like appliances and HVAC systems. Sears' comparable sales were down 12.3% during the holiday quarter, continuing a long sales hemorrhage. In addition, the recent hhgregg bankruptcy is also freeing up some market opportunity in appliances and services.

"We don't have aspirations to be #1 in market share in appliances, smart home or window installation," J.C. Penney CEO Marvin Ellison told Fortune as he gave us an exclusive tour of the home area at a store in East Elmhurst, N.Y. "We have a large competitor, larger than us, in the mall, that is struggling, and there is market share up for grabs."

Expanding on an appliance revival

Each group of services will have its own display and signage inside Penney's home goods departments at the test stores. A web site, jcpenneyhomeservices.com, will serve as a portal with information as well as the ability to ask for a consultation and set up a home visit with an authorized contractor to get a project estimate.

As with appliances, Penney will not take actual possession of goods, and thus will minimize risk. For instance, in the case of the HVAC systems, Penney is teaming up with supplier Trane, whose products are primarily sold by local distributors. And the smart home systems are offered by Samsung. Penney is essentially renting out its space to these suppliers and service providers, and taking a cut of their sales.

These new services are also meant as the logical extension of and complement to Penney's return to appliances last year after 33 years. Together, they're part of an effort to diversify away from apparel, its largest category but a struggling one (Penney expects comparable sales in apparel to fall 5% this year), and to ramp up offerings that will be tough to replicate for purely online stores.

Ellison, who became CEO in August 2015, has made a point of reducing Penney's reliance on apparel sales to focus more on home goods, soft and hard alike. That category generates only 12% or so of Penney's sales, down from 21% just a decade ago.

What's more, sales per square foot in Penney's home goods section lag the store average dramaticallyabout $100 per square foot per year, compared to the store average of some $170. But by some estimates, the home areas of stores that sell appliances generate anywhere from $600 to $1,000 per square foot. (The appliance departments, which the company says have not required much capital, have now been rolled out to 500 stores, and Penney will add them at 100 more this year.)

Ellison says he wants a piece of the consumer spending that has shifted to home improvement (and away from apparel), and he may be onto something: The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University recently reported that the residential remodeling market reached an all-time high of $340 billion in 2015, and forecast it would grow 2% a year through 2025.

The bet on home services comes at a tough time for Penney. Its comparable sales were unchanged for the fiscal year that ended in January , and even fell during the holiday season. That was a far cry from the 3% annual pace through 2019 that Ellison and his team promised Wall Street, and a disappointment compared to 2014 and 2015 numbers. Investors have been losing faith too: Shares have fallen by nearly half since hitting a 52-week high of $11.85 nearly a year ago. And Penney recently announced it would close about 140 of its 1,020 stores.

As chronicled last month in a Fortune examination of the travails of department stores , Penney, like rivals Macy's ( m ) and Kohl's ( kss ) , is grappling with too much overlap and sameness among their offerings, leaving discounting as their only tool to stoke sales.

In addition to the new services, J.C. Penney will be introducing a JCPenney Home Services credit card that will offer higher credit limits than its regular store cards, reflecting the higher overall prices of such projects. The card will be a crucial tool for collecting data on customers, an area where Penney lags Macy's and Kohl's.

The new categories play to Ellison's strengths, given the 13 years he spent a The Home Depot , including some time overseeing its appliances business. But it also harkens back to a time when Penney offered everything for hunting rifles to washing machines and was a national leader in things like window treatments. In its heyday, Penney reportedly provided one-third of U.S. homes their blinds, shades and curtains.

One stat Ellison likes to cite is that 70% of Penney customers are women, and 70% are homeowners. And so he sees a natural fit. He dismissed the idea that big appliances and services would hurt visit frequency, since people don't get a new fridge every year but do freshen up towels sets and get coffee machines more often.

"We are not as concerned that the customer will buy a washer and dryer, then we won't see them again for five years," he said. "Next year it will be a dishwasher." And if his hunch is right, an HVAC system the year after that.

Read the original:
JC Penney Wants to Remodel Your House - Fortune