Department store chains say they are satisfied with the uptake of their co-branded credit cards even as pre- and post-Christmas sales levels look pretty ordinary.David McInnes, managing director of David Jones, told the Financial Review: "We have seen an unparalleled number of customers sign up for our credit card…we are well ahead of our internal targets. We continue to expect that to go very well."McInnes told the newspaper in December that more than 40,000 people applied for the co-branded David Jones and American Express credit card.David Jones yesterday downgraded like-for-like second quarter sales guidance to a 9.5 per cent decrease on last year, worse than the 7.5 per cent drop forecast on November 26. DJs projects a return to flat sales growth in the second half of 2010, meaning it expects six consecutive negative quarters.The retailer also revised annualised profit guidance for each of half-year 2009, full-year 2009 and full-year 2010 to growth of between zero and five per cent for each half year, down from the previous forecast of profit growth of between five per cent and 10 per cent.Myer Group yesterday said it expected earnings before interest and tax to increase between one per cent and six per cent in its half-year to January 24, 2009 even though like-for-like sales will be down 3.9 per cent. Sales were down 4.8 per cent in the first quarter and down 3.1 per cent in the second quarter, indicating an increase in the peak Christmas and stocktake sale period, the company said.In an interview with Business Spectator published in the week after Christmas, chief executive Bernie Brookes disclosed data on demand for the Myer co-branded credit cards (which are issued by GE Money).Brookes said Myer signed up more people for credit cards in the month of December than it had in the previous three months. He said there were more than 180,000 people now with a Myer Black or a Myer Visa Credit Card. There are also 2.8 million customers with Myer One loyalty cards.