After a run of strong sales growth during 2014 and 2015, J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) got caught up in the broader department-store slump last year. Comparable-store sales were flat in fiscal 2016. That was far better than the industry average, but it still represented a big step down relative to J.C. Penney’s 4.4% comp sales increase in 2014 and its 4.5% increase in 2015.