NATURE OF OPERATIONS

12 Months Ended

Jan. 28, 2012

Nature Of Operations

Nature Of Operations

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. is a Pennsylvania corporation incorporated on January 31, 1996 as the successor of a company incorporated on January 31, 1929. As of January 28, 2012, The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. operated, through its subsidiaries, 274 stores 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, in the Detroit, Michigan area, under the Parisian nameplate.

        References to "the Company" refer to The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

        The Company's fiscal year ends on the Saturday nearer January 31, and consisted of fifty-two weeks for each of 2011, 2010 and 2009. References to "2011," "2010" and "2009" represent the Company's fiscal 2011 year ended January 28, 2012, fiscal 2010 year ended January 29, 2011 and fiscal 2009 year ended January 30, 2010, respectively. References to "2012" represent the Company's fiscal 2012 year ending February 2, 2013.