J. C. Penney Company, Inc. Reports December Sales Results

Company Updates Fourth Quarter Sales and Earnings Outlook PLANO, Texas, Jan. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE:JCP) reported today that its comparable store sales for the five-week period ended Dec. 31, 2011, increased 0.3 percent. This compares to a 3.7 percent increase in the same period last year. Total Company sales in December decreased 2.3 percent. For the month, children's apparel and women's accessories were the top performing merchandise divisions. While overall sales and traffic were softer than anticipated, the Company noted better trends in its stores during the week leading up to Christmas and increases