An Indiana-based company has reached a deal to acquire the intellectual property of Bon-Ton Stores Inc. and is planning to revive some of the bankrupt retailer’s department stores, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported. The company has said that it was in “advanced discussions with landlords about reopening stores in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.” According to bankruptcy court documents, an affiliate of CSC Generation Holdings Inc. agreed to pay $900,000 for Bon-Ton’s trademarks, websites, private-label brands, customer lists and other data. It outbid apparel retailer Christopher & Banks Inc. by $50,000. The company is unable to comment on specific plans until the deal has been approved by the bankruptcy court. Bon-Ton, the parent of Carson’s, Elder-Beerman, Boston Store, Younkers and other department store brands, filed for bankruptcy in January. The 160-year-old company was operating 260 stores in 24 states when it filed for bankruptcy. All remaining Bon-Ton stores closed last week. CSC Generation Holdings is an e-commerce marketplace company that previously owned online jewelry store ice.com and owns membership buying service DirectBuy and menswear seller Killion. In bankruptcy papers, CSC founder Justin Yoshimura said that he intends to operate Bon-Ton as an e-commerce and bricks-and-mortar business “under the same nameplates” and “selling many of the same categories of goods.” CSC Generation’s acquisition includes the names and mailing addresses of 24.5 million Bon-Ton customers, including 8.3 million who’ve been active in the past two years, plus 5.6 million email addresses of Bon-Ton customers.
