Business news with words department+penney. 14 news.

SHOPPERS in the United States jammed stores to take advantage of half-off sales and extended hours at J.C. Penney Co, Sears Holdings Corp and Toys "R" Us Inc during the final weekend before Christmas, Bloomberg News reported yesterday. Less than one-fifth of consumers had finished their holiday shopping as of December 16. Retailers were counting on Saturday and yesterday to generate almost 10 percent of their sales for the gift-giving season, which the US National Retail Federation said may be the slowest in five years. Profit may suffer this year as retailers boost discounts to lure consumers grappling with higher food and energy costs and rising mortgage defaults. The price of gasoline has risen 28 percent this year, according to the US Department of Energy. "This season has been the year of the discount," said Fred Crawford, managing director for Southfield, Michigan-based consultant AlixPartners LLP. J.C. Penney sold juniors sweaters with 50 percent

UNITED States retailers had a robust start to the holiday shopping season, according to results announced by a national research group that tracks sales across the country. According to ShopperTrak RCT Corp, which tracks sales at more than 50,000 retail outlets, total sales rose 8.3 percent to about US$10.3 billion on Friday, the day after the Thanksgiving holiday, compared with US$9.5 billion on the same day a year ago. ShopperTrak had expected an increase of no more than four to five percent. "This is a really strong number - you can't have a good season unless it starts well," said Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak, on Saturday. "It's very encouraging. When you look at September and October, shoppers weren't in the stores." In a separate statement released on Saturday, JC Penney Co reported "strong performance across all merchandise categories," including jewelry, outerwear, and young men's and children's assortments. But the department

J.C. Penney Co. said Thursday that its fiscal third-quarter profit fell 9%, hurt by weak sales in September and October, and the department store operator slashed its fourth-quarter outlook.

FT.com - Wall Street stocks fell on Thursday after JC Penney, the department store operator, warned of "dramatically" weaker sales and financials were sold amid continued concern about credit-related losses.

FT.com - Wall Street stocks were sluggish on Thursday after JC Penney, the department store operator, warned of "dramatically" weaker sales and amid continued concern about further credit-related losses in the financial sector.

FT.com - Wall Street stocks were lower on Thursday after JC Penney, the department store operator, warned of "dramatically" weaker sales and amid continued concern about further write-downs in the financial sector.

AP - Wall Street headed for a lower open Thursday after the Labor Department's consumer price report and J.C. Penney Co.'s disappointing earnings report raised concerns about the strength of consumer spending.

US stocks were set for a lower start after JC Penney, the department store operator, warned of a "dramatically" weakening sales and amid continued concern about further write-downs in the financial sector. Meanwhile CPI data proved relatively benign

Reuters - J.C. Penney Co Inc slashed its forecast for the crucial holiday selling season on Thursday after the department store operator posted a 9 percent drop in quarterly profit, citing "dramatically" weaker sales in September and October.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - J.C. Penney Co Inc reported a 9 percent drop in quarterly profit on Thursday, saying sales weakened "dramatically" in September and October, and the department store operator slashed its fourth-quarter forecast.

AP - J.C. Penney Co. said Thursday its third-quarter profit fell 9 percent, hurt by weak sales in September and October, and the department store operator slashed its fourth-quarter outlook.

J.C. Penney Co. said Thursday its third-quarter profit fell 9 percent, hurt by weak sales in September and October, and the department store operator slashed its fourth-quarter outlook.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Retail shares declined Friday, led by department store retailer J.C. Penney Co. and Family Dollar Stores Inc. amid concern about fourth quarter sales after a lousy October.

New York (MarketWatch) -- Retail shares declined Friday, led by J.C. Penney Co. Shares of department store retailer J.C. Penney dropped 4.1% after Bear Stearns downgraded its stock following the retailer's disappointing October sales. The S&P Retail Index fell 2.1% to 420.49.