JCPenney’s in-store salons may be one of the salon industry’s best-kept secrets. And all 850 units are getting a new ‘do, complete with a stylish partner, that aims to bring some chic to its image.

Earlier this month JCPenney, which is in the fight of its life to attract shoppers, said it is collaborating with the editors of InStyle to create a fresh salon concept set to roll out this summer.

Renamed The Salon by InStyle, the concept will debut in 15 stores in key markets of Chicago, Dallas, Miami and Los Angeles. Working in tandem, JCPenney and InStyle will zero in on trends and innovations to be used in the salons. A Dallas store, easily accessible from JCPenney’s headquarters, will be one of two flagships, along with one in Los Angeles. They will serve as testing grounds for ideas to be rolled out to the remaining salons in 2016.

One of the goals is to appeal to younger customers who are influenced by InStyle, according to Amiee Thomas, Vice President of Salons at JCPenney. The retailer has 13,500 stylists and assistants with more than three million clients who come in for 10 million services annually. 
“As one of the largest salon operators in the country, we are going to leverage our industry expertise to create a salon that elevates the client experience and attracts new customers to our stores, while strengthening loyalty among existing clients,” Amiee said.

Ariel Foxman, editorial director of InStyle and StyleWatch, added that beauty is a big focus for her readers. “They spent over $2.1 billion on beauty products in the past year, equivalent to 9% of all spending on beauty in the U.S. We see this partnership as a way to extend our relationship with our consumer in a new, tangible way.”

The updated salon complements other JCPenney initiatives including the now seven-year partnership with Sephora, as well as recent Disney and Hallmark shops within the store concepts.