JCP

J.C. Penney's new CEO plans to remake the tired old department store chain a la the Apple Store and Target, and his fresh ideas are earning him applause. But as investors and industry watchers cheer Ron Johnson's turnaround concepts, they're ignoring some big potholes on the road ahead.

Many of America's best-known retailers, including Walmart, Home Depot and JCPenney, will be stepping into the earnings spotlight this week. Their reports come on the heels of disappointing January retail sales numbers from the Commerce Department.

Stocks closed sharply higher Monday with the Dow Jones posting a triple-digit gain as technology stocks rallied after Intel raised its dividend and expanded its share buybacks by $10 billion. The index last saw 12,000 in June 2008 -- on the way down.

With 68% of Americans overweight, our furniture is growing, too. In the plus-size furniture market, where consumers are promised comfort as well as measured load-bearing performance, online retailers are stealing the lunch of brick-and-mortar stores.

Your local mall may look less like a ghost town this time next year. Expect to see more stores opening in 2010 to replace those lost during the recession. And some of the shopping centers will take on an increasingly international flavor, as a variety of European chains are expanding rapidly into...

Earlier this year, Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert interviewed Jim Cramer about market psychology against a video background of puppies and kittens. Did it help the market rebound from its March lows? Who knows? But investors are sure feeling better about themselves. The Chicago Board Options...

Expect a Kohl's vs. Penney's remodeling face-off next year, and new additions in their home departments. While reporting their third-quarter results this week, the department store rivals both said they're planning to focus on remodeling stores in 2010, and will pay more attention to their...

Bespoke has the average analyst price targets for all the bank stocks. How far they have come! ______________ The Daily Beast figures out which big bank could implode next. ______________ I can't believe jcpenney.com is on the list of the top 25 retail sites. Amazon.com I expect, but not...

If you were hoping for an economic recovery, don't hold your breath. To hear retailers tell it, you'll have to wait until around Christmas -- next year. Nearly every executive speaking to investors and analysts at the annual Goldman Sachs Global Retail Conference said the track of this recession...

"Better than expected" is the new catchphrase for retailers, most of whom posted August sales that were weak but not as bad as many had forecast. Sales reported Thursday showed that shoppers continue to focus on must-have items such as food and toiletries, while luxury sales are dragging....