The Bon-Ton site proclaims, “We’re back & we’re here to stay!”
The chain of department stores, which filed for bankruptcy in February, subsequently found a buyer in August. CSC Generation reportedly purchased the names, sites and data for $900,000.
CSC has since relaunched the websites and outlined plans for a brick-and-mortar return.
The Bon-Ton’s chain of stores shuttered after seven years of unprofitability, but the retailer’s new president Jordan Voloshin said CSC isn’t worried about that. In a Q&A article with the Journal Sentinel newspaper, he blamed the company’s previous poor performance on leases that kept it tied to stores in areas that were “over retailed.” Now free from those responsibilities, Voloshin said he thinks the new company will see profitability “pretty quickly.”
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The new websites now offer apparel along with additional categories like appliances and other home goods.
The company has relaunched the website for all of the company’s banners and has plans to open locations under the Bon-Ton, Carson’s, Herberger’s and Boston Store names. CSC is taking a wait-and-see approach to the Younkers and Elder-Beerman relaunches, saying if all goes well online, physical stores could follow.
Voloshin told the publication the stores will likely look different from their predecessors. “In addition to the fashion and lifestyle brands Bon-Ton is known for, we plan on testing everything from art to liquor. We will also offer services ranging from personal stylists to interior designers,” he said.
The new iteration of the company could be off to a slower start given the lead time it takes to order products from vendors, Voloshin admitted, saying, “Please give us some slack if we don’t have everything on day one.”
In a message on the company’s site, Voloshin outlined the reasons why CSC saw something in the defunct brand, including the consumers who would genuinely miss it, the displaced employees and “the opportunity to rebuild an American Icon.”
Voloshin closed out his note with a plea for employees and suppliers to get in touch if they’re interested in working with the resurrected retailer.
