Coming close on the heels oflower-than-expected sales figures, J.C. Penney’s recently launched partnership with Canadian clothing brand Joe Fresh might be CEO Ron Johnson’s last chance to turn the ailing company around.

J.C. Penney shares jumped 5% after the debut weekend of the Joe Fresh line in about 700 of its 1,100 stores. The line uses a “store-within-a-store concept” that many observers say is key to rejuvenating the antiquated business model of large department stores. Wharton marketing professor David Bell notes that in the medium and long term, determining whether the Joe Fresh venture is a success or a failure isn’t entirely tied to earnings.

“There will need to be some boost in traffic and sales,” he says. “But the arrangement might also be considered successful if it helps to reinvigorate the J.C. Penney brand as well.”

This article originally appeared on Knowledge@Wharton.

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