J.C. Penney Co. raised its profit forecast, even amid another quarterly sales decline, as the battered department-store chain’s turnaround plan gains more time to play out.
Excluding some items, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization will exceed $475 million this year, up from a previous forecast of between $440 million and $475 million. The chain, which has stores at Vancouver Mall and on Mill Plain Boulevard in east Vancouver along with two in the Portland area, posted a drop in inventory in the third quarter, a sign its struggles with buildups of unpopular merchandise is easing.
J.C. Penney’s report shows it’s making progress in improving its operations, and that cheered investors. “We are beginning to see results — both in our numbers and how we operate as a business,” Chief Executive Officer Jill Soltau said in a statement.
Still, same-store sales, a key retail metric, fell 9.3 percent last quarter. That’s worse than the average projection for a decline of 8.3 percent, according to Consensus Metrix. With foot traffic falling and five straight drops in comparable sales, the chain is testing new store formats and in-store experiences. New Commerce Department figures show U.S. retail sales rebounded in October, though categories including clothing and furniture posted declines.
