Penney: Later Opening Cost Black Friday Sales

J.C. Penney is blaming its decision to open later than some competitors on Black Friday as a factor in the chain's same-store sales decline in November. According to a statement by the company, its same-store numbers were tracking ahead of the prior year leading up to the holiday weekend. But "its decision to respect Thanksgiving Day for families and open at 4 a.m. on Friday, as it had in prior years, adversely impacted Black Friday sales. Sales remained soft in-store throughout the holiday weekend." The retailer's online sales fared better with site traffic up 12 percent for the holiday