Penney’s web sales grow at 5 times the rate of total sales

Web-based sales at J. C. Penney Co. Inc. in March increased more than 50% over March 2003, while companywide sales were up 10%, the company reported this week. Comparable department store sales were up 11.4%.

While the company does not break out Internet-only numbers, it reports that combined catalog/Internet sales were up 9.7% for the month, to $261 million from $238 million. The company said strong Internet sales reflected “positive customer response to expanded product offerings, value and convenience.” Department store sales in March were up 10.7% to $1.29 billion from $1.17 billion.

For the first nine weeks of the year, catalog/Internet sales were up 9% to $449 million from $412 million while total department store sales were up 11.2%, to $2.3 billion from $2.07 billion.