MacRumors reports today that according to The Wall Street Journal, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail, Ron Johnson, is to leave the company to take up a new position as president at J.C. Penney, with the view being that he will then go on to become J.C. Penney CEO in the next few months. This could be quite a blow to Apple, as MacRumors notes that Johnson, who has been with the company for 11 years since leaving Target, is believed to be responsible for Apple’s huge retail store success. He also often appears at retail store openings around the world, and has previously been quoted as saying that he wanted Apple stores to be places that “people will love,” with the emphasis firmly on the richness of the customer experience. Following the shock news of Johnson’s departure today, an Apple spokesperson issued this statement to All Things Digital:

“Ron is excited about this opportunity and we hope it goes well for him. We’ve got a great retail team in place and are actively recruiting for his replacement.”

Source: Apple Retail Chief Ron Johnson Departing to Lead J.C. Penney [Updated] - Mac Rumors, Apple: We Are Actively Recruiting for Retail Guru’s Replacement – AllThingsD