J. C. Penney Company, Inc. reported comparable store sales decreased 11.9% for the four-week period ended Nov. 29, 2008, in line with the companys guidance for a low-double digit decrease and compared with a 5.4% increase during the same period last year.
Total company sales in November decreased 11.5%.
For the November period, womens apparel and family shoes were the top performing merchandise divisions, while fine jewelry continued to experience softer sales performance. Geographically, the best performing area of the country was the northwest region.
Black Friday shopping at JCPenney was strong across all areas of the country with customers responding well to the companys gift assortment and strong value proposition.
In particular, the companys strongest sellers included several items from JCPenneys unique Red Box Gifts assortment and practical gifts from across the store including sweaters, boots, wool coats, luggage, denim, small electrics and cookware.
