The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. announced comparable store sales for the five weeks ended April 2, 2011 decreased 6.1%. Total sales decreased 6.6% to $254.5 million for the five weeks compared with $272.4 million for the prior year period.
Year-to-date comparable store sales decreased 3.7%. Year-to-date total sales decreased 4.3% to $452.2 million compared with $472.3 million for the same period last year.
Tony Buccina, vice chairman and president – merchandising, commented, “In March, our best performing businesses were home categories, including furniture, cosmetics and fine jewelry, and the momentum in our eCommerce business remained strong. We experienced especially robust sales performances in watches, swim wear and luggage. Our weakest performing businesses were children's apparel, ladies sportswear and men's furnishings. As expected, the calendar shift of Easter into late April this year unfavorably impacted March traffic and sales, particularly in the apparel category. We believe the combination of the shift of the Easter holiday sales as well as the arrival of more seasonable weather will result in a strong sales performance in April. We are pleased with our merchandise assortment as well as the level and freshness of our inventory.”
The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., with corporate headquarters in York, Pennsylvania and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operates 275 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.
