Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Follow Up File

The Bon Ton chain of department stores closed for good last week.  Forever.  And ever.

I am sorry for those who lost their hobs, and for people who liked to shop there.  I am reminded of the words of game show host Peter Tomarken.  On the last episode of his first network show, NBC's "Hit Man," Tomarken thanked the viewers and added "Unfortunately, there weren't enough of you."

Bon Ton was done in by a number of factors.  The chain struggled for years. Debt.  No traffic. A changing retail landscape.  Those are just a few reasons.  I occasionally visited the Wyoming and Wilkes-Barre Township stores.  They were seas of grey and beige.  Tired decor.  Not much reason to shop there.
Only the strong survive.  Perhaps, Bon Ton's demise will shift some activity to Penney's and Macy's-- and make those chains just a little stronger.  The Christmas shopping season is rapidly approaching.  It will be interesting to see who is left standing in 2019.