Penney’s web sales grow 19% in March while total sales decline

Web-based sales at J.C. Penney Co. Inc. increased 19% in March vs. March 2002, while total sales decreased 4.2%, the company reported today. Companywide sales totaled $2.84 billion in March vs. $2.96 billion in March last year. The company does not report the dollar amount for Internet sales. Catalog sales decreased 13.1% for the month, while comparable store sales were down 5.5%.

J.C. Penney says sales were affected by the later occurrence of Easter this year as compared to last year as well as by the war in Iraq and the general economy. It also says its Eckerd Corp. drugstore sales were harmed by softness of travel to Florida this winter, one of its primary markets.

J.C. Penney operates JCPenney.com, 1,049 JCPenney department stores in the U.S. and Mexico, and 54 Renner department stores in Brazil. Eckerd operates 2,686 drugstores.