Why JCPenney’s Margins Might Continue to Be under Pressure
Can New CEO Bring JCPenney Back on Track? A challenging retail environment forced JCPenney (JCP) to book markdowns in the second quarter, causing a contraction in the company’s gross margin during the quarter. JCPenney’s gross margin fell significantly to 33.7% in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 from 35.3% in the second quarter of fiscal 2017.