The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. Announces April Sales

Business Wire,  May 8, 2008  

Tags: Bon-Ton Stores Inc., sales

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Comparable Store Sales decreased 0.9% for the Month

YORK, Pa. -- The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: BONT) today announced comparable store sales for the four weeks ended May 3, 2008 decreased 0.9% compared to the prior year period. Total sales for the four weeks decreased 1.3% to $209.2 million compared to $211.9 million for the prior year period.

For the first quarter of fiscal 2008, comparable store sales decreased 4.6%. Total sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2008 decreased 5.1% to $700.2 million compared to $737.6 million for the same period last year.

Tony Buccina, Vice Chairman and President - Merchandising, commented, "April had a good start but a disappointing finish as the retail environment remains challenging and traffic remains inconsistent. The best performing categories in April were outerwear, children's, shoes, cosmetics, better sportswear and special sizes. We are encouraged by the significant improvement from the previous months in key apparel categories, shoes and cosmetics. The weakest performing categories were in home - soft, hard and furniture - which compared unfavorably to the strong results in April of last year and the recent solid performance. We ended April with our inventory levels down on a comparable store basis with less clearance than the prior year, and in a significantly better inventory position as we enter the second quarter."

Keith Plowman, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, stated, "Our excess borrowing capacity under our credit facility was $273.8 million at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2008, well above the prior year level for the comparable quarter and reflecting the strength of our balance sheet and capital structure."

Financial results for the first quarter fiscal 2008 are scheduled to be released Thursday, May 22, 2008. The Company's quarterly conference call to discuss the first quarter fiscal 2008 financial results is scheduled to be broadcast live over the Internet on May 22, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. eastern time. To access the call, please visit the investor relations section of the Company's website at http://investors.bonton.com . An online archive of the broadcast will be available within one hour after the conclusion of the call.

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. operates 280 stores, including eleven 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, under the Parisian nameplate, three stores in the Detroit, Michigan area. The stores offer a broad assortment of brand-name fashion apparel and accessories for women, men and children, as well as cosmetics and home furnishings. For further information, please visit the investor relations section of the Company's website at http://investors.bonton.com.

Statements made in this press release, other than statements of historical information, are forward-looking and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in these statements. Factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to, risks related to retail businesses generally, consumer spending patterns and debt levels, additional competition from existing and new competitors, inflation, changes in the costs of fuel and other energy and transportation costs, weather conditions that could negatively impact sales, uncertainties associated with opening new stores or expanding or remodeling existing stores, the ability to attract and retain qualified management, the dependence upon key vendor relationships and the ability to obtain financing for working capital, capital expenditures and general corporate purposes. 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 Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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