JC Penney brought in the guy who ran Apple stores and he tried to discontinue all the sale pricing and go with an everyday low prices strategy.

That failed and cost Penney dearly.

Now he is doing mailed brochures and catalogs again with sale pricing and is probably doing somewhat better. They are also bringing in more brand name clothing like Izod, but if their price is the same as everyone else, why shop at Penneys?

These are bumpy times for retailing. At least they are doing better than Sears.

Kohls must be the guys getting the traffic these days, but even their numbers are taking a hit from on line and discount competitors.

Penney has always had a strong mail order/catalog business. You would think they could easily become a leader online, but capturing those eyeballs has been a problem. Perhaps they need an overlay name with a hot, jazzy image to attract younger shoppers, make good use of their physical plant, and bury their stoggey grandmother's store reputation.