Here's How JCPenney's Manhattan Store Prepares for Black Friday

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For being part of a breed of department stores that have been reportedly struggling over the past few years, Manhattan's JCPenney has lofty goals for the upcoming holiday retail celebration. In a feature with WWD, store manager Joe Cardamone walks readers through the preparation process.

First things first: bring in the extra pairs of hands. "We started staffing up the first week of October," Cardamone said. "We hired 100 seasonal associates." That brings the total of number of staff to 400 who, if they choose to work the holiday weekend, will be getting paid double for overtime.

Step two is to bring in the stock, which is being delivered by the truckload (sometimes four at once) every night. In addition to frequent restocking, the retail giant also has a warehouse out in Connecticut to help deal with any last-minute shortages. If you're worrying about them running out of anything, don't. "Trust me," Cardamone promises. "I’ve got a team in place that will keep the shelves filled."

Third? Get creative. JCPenny is once again bringing out their "linebusters," which are handheld devices associates will use to scan customers' merchandise while they wait in line. By the time they're at the checkout, they only have to pay. "That saves a lot of time — five to seven minutes a customer," Cardamone explained.

JCPenney will open at 3pm on Thanksgiving Day and remain open continuously until 11pm Friday before reopening at 8am on Saturday.