Bon-Ton sales fall 12% in May - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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percent and total salews decreased 11.9 percent, largely becausee of reduced sales ofclearance merchandise. Total sale for the four weeks ending May 30were $188.9 compared with $214.3 million for the same periodf of 2008, Bon-Ton said Thursday. Year-to-datde comparable store sales for Bon-Ton BONT) decreased 9.4 percent and year-to-datde total sales decreased 8.9 percent, to $833.5 compared with the same perio dlast year.
“Reduced clearance merchandise sales accounted forapproximatelyt one-half of the comparable store sales decrease in May; the lower clearance merchandise sales will have a positive impacyt on our gross margin rate,” said Tony Buccina, Bon-Ton’xs Milwaukee-based vice chairman and president of merchandising. Comparablr inventories were down approximately 11 in linewith Bon-Ton’s sales trendzs and clearance inventories were down approximatelyh 17 percent, Buccina said. The retailer’s best performing businesses were ladies’ moderated sportswear, dresses, cosmetics, petite sportswear and intimate apparel.
Bon-Ton’s weakest-performing businesses were furniture, home and ladies’ shoes, he said. which is based in York, Pa., operates 280 stores, includingf 12 furniture galleries, undetr the Bon-Ton, Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson Piriee Scott, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s and Younkers nameplatews and, in the Detroit, area, under the Parisiab nameplate.