JC Penney’s February sales are down from last year, its chief executive said yesterday, as the retailer tries to sell shoppers on a new pricing strategy that does not include the discounts that hurt margins.

The company also posted a fourth-quarter loss due to costs from the change in strategy, which eschews discounts in favor of lower but consistent prices on a monthly basis.

But the department store operator also said there are early signs customers are taking to the new pricing model. Chief Executive Ron Johnson said sales were strong in apparel but weaker in home products and fine jewelry.

Penney put in the new strategy earlier this month.

When Penney unveiled its transformation plan last month, many analysts predicted the department store chain would lose some core shoppers, who are accustomed to a regular flow of deals, at least temporarily.

Despite the February sales trends, Johnson said Penney’s plan was on track.

“We are confident that the benefits of our simplified business model will more than offset the sales decline so we can meet or exceed our 2012 earnings guidance,” Johnson said in a recorded message.

Johnson, a former Apple executive who took the reins in November, said initial customer surveys showed shoppers liked what they are seeing, including less-cluttered stores and less in-store signage, and that they find the pricing model easy to understand.

The retailer wants to wean shoppers off discounts.