The Bon-Ton

[retailisking]

The parent company's financial straits is noted in the story. Perhaps the next question will be, who will fill the Bon-Ton vacancy at the Maine Mall? The unscientific poll at the PPH asks if respondents will shop there; two thirds say no.
http://www.pressherald.com/news/department-store-fills-void-at-maine-mall_2013-09-09.html

[retailisking]

Al Boscov partially owns the mall; will the mall's struggles take Boscov's down with it?
http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/mall-at-steamtown-fights-to-stay-afloat-bon-ton-to-close-1.1570367

[MikeRa]

I'd thought I would start a new topic for this as seeing some other bon-ton related chatter.

There is only one Bon-Ton store near me is in Doylestown, PA. They seem to have better stuff than Kohl's with sales like JcPenney. I don't shop there too often as it is out of the way, but looks like a good store.

There was once a Bon-Ton as an anchor for the Neshaminy Mall in Bensalem, PA until around 1995. (I believe this store was added on later to the mall, i don't know too much history about this paticular mall) It quickly converted into a Boscov's which it still is today.

The Pomeroy's/Bon-Ton store at Neshaminy Mall opened in 1977, replacing a Lit Brothers store.  Of this store is now an expanded Boscov's location

[mixedday]

How did The Bon-Ton end up with a store in Brick, NJ? And how does it manage to keep a store out there? I was looking at it's location list, and found 2 stores in NJ. One in Phillipsburg, NJ but that is near the Lehigh Valley. However, the one in Brick is totally out there, not anywhere near PA, and relative to all the other Bon Ton stores.

Regarding growth, has Bon-Ton added any new stores in the last 5 years?

If so, if Macy's closes in Voorhees, NJ which is expected, a central anchor spot will be empty at Voorhees Town Center Mall. The other anchor competitor is Boscov's. If the two operated together there, it'd be like a taste and feel of central/rural PA inside of a suburban Philly region in NJ.

[JoshAustin610]

The Brick Bon-Ton was one of two Steinbach stores they acquired in 2000; the other one was in downtown Red Bank and closed a few years after.

[retailisking]

I wonder if script is coming next?

[standa]

How did The Bon-Ton end up with a store in Brick, NJ? And how does it manage to keep a store out there? I was looking at it's location list, and found 2 stores in NJ. One in Phillipsburg, NJ but that is near the Lehigh Valley. However, the one in Brick is totally out there, not anywhere near PA, and relative to all the other Bon Ton stores.

Regarding growth, has Bon-Ton added any new stores in the last 5 years?

If so, if Macy's closes in Voorhees, NJ which is expected, a central anchor spot will be empty at Voorhees Town Center Mall. The other anchor competitor is Boscov's. If the two operated together there, it'd be like a taste and feel of central/rural PA inside of a suburban Philly region in NJ.

Bonton opened a store at the Maine Mall in South Portland, ME in 2013. They are a bit unusual in that they have one store each in every New England state except RI which has none. I am surprised that having stores so far apart does not give them a disadvantage in advertising.

[BillyGr]

How did The Bon-Ton end up with a store in Brick, NJ? And how does it manage to keep a store out there? I was looking at it's location list, and found 2 stores in NJ. One in Phillipsburg, NJ but that is near the Lehigh Valley. However, the one in Brick is totally out there, not anywhere near PA, and relative to all the other Bon Ton stores.

They are also kind of odd in NY state - there are (currently) 2 stores (Queensbury and Saratoga) that are kind of close, and they had one for a while in Latham (former Bradlees then Ames) and one in Newburgh - those form sort of a line along the Thruway/Northway.  Then one in Massena (which is near not much of anything) while the other 14 or so are in the western half of NY from Watertown south and west towards Buffalo.

[mixedday]

Bonton opened a store at the Maine Mall in South Portland, ME in 2013. They are a bit unusual in that they have one store each in every New England state except RI which has none. I am surprised that having stores so far apart does not give them a disadvantage in advertising.

The stores in Westfield, MA and Hamden, CT are 68 miles apart from each other, which I guess isn't too bad. However, the other New England stores are even farther apart from each other.

Perhaps in small metropolitan areas and/or in not so dense areas in the outer areas of larger metropolitan areas, the chain might be fine as a one store kind of operation. e.g.Westfield MA is part of Springfield's metropolitan area, not Boston's.

In Brick, it's part of the Monmouth-Ocean market of the greater NYC metropolitan region and I think there are atleast 3 major malls, and two outlet store centers, along with regular big box competitors like Kohl's, Burlington, etc. in just those two counties. I agree that it would seem disadvantaged in the numbers still, with just one store in a dense area with a lot of competitors.

[standa]

The Hamden, CT Bon Ton will be closing in January 2017.

http://www.econotimes.com/The-Bon-Ton-Stores-Inc-Announces-January-Closing-of-Its-Hamden-Bon-Ton-Store-369877

[retailisking]

This story from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel places the Hamden closure in the context of Bon-Ton Stores' ongoing losses
http://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2016/10/27/bon-ton-closing-another-store/92834010/

[retailisking]

This is probably the end of the line for use of this space as a department store

[FitchMike26]

Bon-Ton is closing at Valley Mall in Hagerstown, MD.
This will leave Valley Mall with 3 empty anchors (Macy's, Sears, and Bon-Ton)
with only JCPenney remaining (although probably not for long).

Link here:
http://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/local/bon-ton-to-close-valley-mall-store-in/article_3ef3f1f4-6d72-11e7-afa0-1f8c41d048ea.html

[retailisking]

Could the long-expected bankruptcy of BONT be close at hand?
http://www.retaildive.com/news/report-bon-ton-hires-turnaround-advisers/504341/

[retailisking]

That restructuring talk has suppliers antsy about having too much exposure to Bon-Ton, so they're demanding more stringent terms and scaling back shipments
http://www.mcall.com/business/retail/mc-biz-bonton-suppliers-pullback-20171013-story.html

[retailisking]

Could the buyer of Belk be Bon-Ton's savior?
http://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2017/10/27/report-says-bon-ton-stores-has-talked-private-equity-firm/806798001/

[MikeinBuffalo]

Friend of mine works at the JC Penny's at the Eastern Hills Mall in Clarence, N.Y.

He is hearing whispers that the Bon Ton there will be closing by the end of 2018, which will be the death of a second anchor. With Sears circling the drain, the mall could lose three out of four anchors...which mall leadership is not upset about at all because it will accelerate plans to turn the mall into a "lifestyle center."

Take it for what it's worth...

[standa]

Here is the Bon-Ton closing list in the link.

https://localtvwnep.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/final-bont-store-rationalization-program-location-release-1-31-18.pdf

[esw01407]

Supposed to be another list with 20 on it that are in danger.

[BillyGr]

Here is the Bon-Ton closing list in the link.

https://localtvwnep.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/final-bont-store-rationalization-program-location-release-1-31-18.pdf

Hopefully that one in Aviation doesn't lead to too much redoing of the area around it (which is somewhat more "vintage" mall - this location was a Caldor with no outside entry, just the mall one, and that area hasn't gotten too much done to it since).

[retailisking]

Can't say I'm surprised about Steeplegate. That place has been a dead mall walking from the time it opened. Bon-Ton still made it almost 20 years.

[busman_49]

They filed bankruptcy Sunday:

http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-biz-bon-ton-bankruptcy-20180205-story.html

[JJBers]

They filed bankruptcy Sunday:

http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-biz-bon-ton-bankruptcy-20180205-story.html

Well, that's sad. I don't believe they have any locations around Connecticut.

[giantsfan2016]

They filed bankruptcy Sunday:

http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-biz-bon-ton-bankruptcy-20180205-story.html

Well, that's sad. I don't believe they have any locations around Connecticut.

They closed their only Connecticut location in Hamden in 2017. It's now a location of Burlington Stores.

[danfifepsu]

They filed bankruptcy Sunday:

http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-biz-bon-ton-bankruptcy-20180205-story.html

Well, that's sad. I don't believe they have any locations around Connecticut.

They closed their only Connecticut location in Hamden in 2017. It's now a location of Burlington Stores.

what will happen to Bon ton?

[danfifepsu]

Can't say I'm surprised about Steeplegate. That place has been a dead mall walking from the time it opened. Bon-Ton still made it almost 20 years.

the sales have started! the mall is 40 to 50 percent vacant

[retailisking]

what will happen to Bon ton?

Liquidation, most likely. There's really no reason for them to exist in this market.

[danfifepsu]

what will happen to Bon ton?

Liquidation, most likely. There's really no reason for them to exist in this market.

what of the malls they are in?

[MikeinBuffalo]

The problem as I see it is that Bon-Ton really has not established itself as anything different from Penny's or Macy's. It used to be a high-end store, now it's just like any other department store.

[retailisking]

That reprieve could be temporary, though
https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2018/02/07/debt-holders-want-bon-ton-stores-liquidate-court-approves-retailers-plan-keep-operating/317147002/