Bon-Ton and its affiliated retail brands, including Carson’s, Boston Store, Herberger’s and Younkers, are back online, thanks to tech company CSC Generation, which already owned men’s fashion brand Killion and home-related buying club DirectBuy.
Merrillville, Indiana-based CSC Generation acquired the assets of Bon-Ton and is selling online as a department store chain in name only, although the company’s website appears to promise that opening stores is part of the plan.
“We are re-building the business brick by brick,” the website says. “In the meantime, we hope that you are enjoying shopping online, and sincerely hope to see you soon.”
News reports say CSC Generation is in negotiation with former Bon-Ton landlords about re-opening some locations in time for the holiday shopping season. The original company, The Bon-Ton Stores Inc., ranked No. 181 in the Internet Retailer 2018 Top 1000, operated stores and e-commerce sites under Bon-Ton, Carson’s, Bergner’s, Herberger’s, Elder-Beerman and Boston Store brands. CSC Generation now operates e-commerce sites under those names, each selling the same merchandise.
CSC Generation, which provides online apparel and jewelry retail services, paid $900,000 for Bon-Ton’s trademarks, websites, customer lists and other data, according to reports. Bon-Ton filed for bankruptcy in February.
Bon-Ton is the latest in a series of iconic, store-based retailers to be revived online after bankruptcy and liquidation, or other travails.
Earlier this year, electronics and appliance retailer Circuit City was revived for a second time as an online-only brand—after a six-year hiatus. The new company is under the leadership of businessman Ronny Shmoel, who bought the Circuit City brand, domain and associated trademarks from then-owner Systemax Inc. in 2015.
The original Circuit City had filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and ultimately liquidated in 2009. Systemax acquired CircuitCity.com in an auction from the shuttered Circuit City Stores Inc. and relaunched the e-commerce site in mid-2009. In 2012, Systemax consolidated CircuitCity.com into TigerDirect.com, taking the brand offline once again.
About a year ago, women’s apparel brand The Limited was revived online several months after private equity firm Sycamore Partners acquired The Limited’s intellectual property in a bankruptcy auction in February 2017 for $26.75 million.