J.C. Penney November Sales Up on Big Black Friday

J.C. Penney (NYSE:JCP) said an historic Black Friday helped the company achieve strong sales growth in November, pushing its shares to a 52-week high.

The Plano, Texas-based company posted sales for the four-week period ended Nov. 27 of $1.845 billion, up 7.2% from $1.72 billion in the same period last year.

Fueling the growth was a 9.2% improvement in comparable-store sales, with all divisions and regions experiencing gains, with particular improvement in shoes and men’s apparel in the central and southwest regions.

“Customers are responding very well to our gift assortments as well as taking advantage of our great promotions in order to buy for themselves,” said J.C. Penney CEO Myron E. Ullman, III. “We are well prepared for the season and look forward to continuing to offer our customers an exciting and affordable shopping experience for the holidays.”

The company experienced its biggest Black Friday sales event in the company’s history, lifting sales of fashion boots, Liz Claiborne sportswear for women and St. John’s Bay cashmere-blend pea coat and polos.

Traffic on jcp.com, the company’s website, improved “well-ahead” of last year throughout the holiday season, the retailer said.