The most likely reason for moving the store’s Biggest Sale of Them All this far ahead is to generate some cash flow to help with paying the bills. Penney’s protestations aside, more cash sooner is something the store can really use, not just for monthly sales but to help boost quarterly cash flow. Another possibility of course is that the store needs to dump some inventory that isn’t selling in order to get the new stuff on the shelves by Black Friday.
Are Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) or Sears Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHLD) or Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS) likely to follow suit and tack on a big sale before the Black Friday weekend? Walmart is already well into holiday promotional sales and Penney’s doesn’t scare Walmart anyway.
Sears, which is in nearly as much trouble as Penney’s, is running an online promotion through Veterans Day and Kohl’s is promoting a two-day, 50%-off sale that ends today.
Maybe Penney’s is just indulging in a little hyperbole with its Biggest Sale of Them All promotion. Maybe this is just the biggest until the next one comes along and all of Penney’s customers have forgotten about this one. In fact, the next one could come before Black Friday. Customers have short memories after all.
Research firm Retail Metrics estimates Penney’s same-store sales for October were down 4.1% on top of a drop of around 26% in 2012.
Penney’s stock is down 4.5% at the noon hour on Wednesday at $7.94 in a 52-week range of $6.24 to $23.32.
The #1 Thing to Do Before You Claim Social Security (Sponsor)
Choosing the right (or wrong) time to claim Social Security can dramatically change your retirement. So, before making one of the biggest decisions of your financial life, it’s a smart idea to get an extra set of eyes on your complete financial situation.
A financial advisor can help you decide the right Social Security option for you and your family. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you.
Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you optimize your Social Security outcomes.
Have questions about retirement or personal finance? Email us at [email protected]!
By emailing your questions to 24/7 Wall St., you agree to have them published anonymously on a673b.bigscoots-temp.com.
By submitting your story, you understand and agree that we may use your story, or versions of it, in all media and platforms, including via third parties.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.