The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. announced comparable store sales in the five weeks ended September 29 increased 0.6 percent. Total sales increased 0.7 percent to $288.9 million in the current year compared with $286.9 million in the prior year period.

Year-to-date comparable store sales decreased 0.1 percent. Year-to-date total sales decreased 0.2 percent to $1,705.3 million compared with $1,709.4 million in the same period last year.

“We gained momentum the final two weeks in the month and finished strong,” commented Brendan Hoffman, president and CEO. “We largely attribute our performance to a better balanced merchandise assortment and refined marketing efforts. Our multi-channel methods of communicating with our customers created excitement and traffic. In addition, our customers continued to respond favorably to the new fall receipts. The best performing categories were fine jewelry, better sportswear, dresses, shoes, men’s sportswear and ladies’ large sizes. Our eCommerce business delivered a strong double-digit sales gain. Our inventory management efforts have us well-positioned to take advantage of sales opportunities in season.”

“Our excess borrowing capacity under our revolving credit facility was approximately $402 million at the end of September,” stated Keith Plowman, EVP and CFO.

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., with corporate headquarters in York, Pennsylvania and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operates 272 department stores, which includes 11 furniture galleries, in 23 states in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains under the Bon-Ton, Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson Pirie Scott, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s and Younkers nameplates and, in the Detroit, Michigan area, under the Parisian nameplate.