The Lesson is - Customers Want a "Deal"

JCP teaches a ‘fair and square’ lesson on pricing
 July 27, 2012 | By Gail Hoffer
"We thought simplifying 590 unique sale events into three types of pricing would be easier, but it turns out that customers and others found the pricing a little confusing," he said. "Now we're going from 590 to 3 to 1: The first price is the right price."

We don't think customers are confused - we think they want to feel like they got a "deal".  EDL pricing makes them wonder "how much lower could they go?".  What most customers do is delay purchasing at EDL until they compare the EDL price with sale prices elsewhere.  It means more work for the customer and when they find the same item elsewhere and validate JCP's price - they buy where they are - rather than return to JCP.