How J.C. Penney and Sears Could’ve Steered Clear of the Slope of Death

By Dan Scouler

In spite of the cloud hanging over the whole of the retail sector in early 2014, J.C. Penney and Sears deserve special attention. JCP and Sears are illustrative of what some may call the "Slope of Death" in business distress — a prolonged decline that can often end a company if an appropriate restructuring plan isn't implemented and carried out.