The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. Provides Holiday Sales Update

YORK, Pa., Jan. 08, 2018 -- The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (OTCQX:BONT) today announced that its comparable store sales for the nine-week holiday period ended December 30, 2017 decreased 2.9%. Total sales for the nine-week November and December period were $720.8 million compared to sales of $752.1 million in the prior year period. The Company’s best performing categories over the period were Cosmetics, Children’s, Outerwear and Fine Jewelry.

Bill Tracy, president and chief executive officer for The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. said, “The Company’s holiday period comparable store sales decrease of 2.9% is an improvement from the comparable store sales decrease of 6.6% reported in the third quarter. We are actively engaged in discussions with our debt holders in an effort to strengthen our capital structure to support the business going forward.”

About The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.
The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., with corporate headquarters in York, Pennsylvania and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operates 260 stores, which includes nine furniture galleries and four clearance centers, in 24 states in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains under the Bon-Ton, Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson’s, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s and Younkers nameplates.  The stores offer a broad assortment of national and private brand fashion apparel and accessories for women, men and children, as well as cosmetics and home furnishings.  The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. is an active and positive participant in the communities it serves.  For further information, please visit http://investors.bonton.com.   

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information included in this release and in other communications made by the Company, including the Company’s fiscal 2017 guidance, contain statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, which may be identified by words such as “may,” “could,” “will,” “plan,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend,” or other similar expressions, involve important risks and uncertainties that could significantly cause future results to differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements.  Factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to: risks related to retail businesses generally; deterioration of general economic conditions; potential increases in pension obligations; consumer spending patterns, debt levels, and the availability and cost of consumer credit; additional competition from existing and new competitors or changes in the competitive environment; changes in energy and transportation costs; weather conditions that could negatively impact sales; the ability to attract and retain qualified management; the dependence upon relationships with vendors and their factors; a data security breach or system failure; the ability to reduce or control SG&A expenses; operational disruptions; unsuccessful marketing initiatives; the ability to improve efficiency through the Company’s eCommerce fulfillment center; changes in, or the failure to successfully implement, our key strategies, including the store rationalization program and initiatives to improve our merchandising, marketing and operations; adverse outcomes in litigation; the ability to obtain financing for working capital, capital expenditures and general corporate purposes; the impact of regulatory requirements; the ability of the Company to change its capital structure; and the financial condition of mall operators.  Any sales results reported herein do not necessarily predict the Company’s performance for the full 2017 holiday season or for the fiscal fourth quarter as a whole.  Additional factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ from those contained in these forward-looking statements are discussed in greater detail under Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2016 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by law.

CONTACT:
Investor Relations:
Jean Fontana
ICR, Inc.
646.277.1214
[email protected]

Media:
Christine Hojnacki
414.347.5329
[email protected]