Has J.C. Penney scored a hit with investors? Ace Metrix recently listed the company as one of the most effective back-to-school-season advertisers. Unfortunately, Fools, that's not very meaningful. The company joins a list that also includes Best Buy(NYSE:BBY), Office Max, Hewlett-Packard(NYSE:HPQ), and Office Depot(NASDAQ:ODP) -- most of which were on the same list this time last year and have drained investors' brokerage accounts ever since. J.C. Penney is no different -- it still remains a bad retailer despite the hype. See more in the following video.

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This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. We’re motley! Questioning an investing thesis -- even one of our own -- helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.