BASIS OF PRESENTATION	9 Months Ended
Oct. 29, 2016
BASIS OF PRESENTATION
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	1.BASIS OF PRESENTATION The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation, was incorporated on January 31, 1996 as the successor of a company incorporated on January 31, 1929. As of October 29, 2016, The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. operated, through its subsidiaries, 267 stores, including nine furniture galleries and five clearance centers, in 26 states in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains under the Bon-Ton, Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson’s, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s and Younkers nameplates. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (the “Parent”) and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”). All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q and do not include all information and footnotes required in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of interim periods have been included. The Company’s business is seasonal in nature and results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of results for the full fiscal year. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016. For purposes of the following discussion, references to the “third quarter of 2016” and the “third quarter of 2015” are to the 13 weeks ended October 29, 2016 and October 31, 2015, respectively. References to “fiscal 2016” are to the 52 weeks ending January 28, 2017; references to “fiscal 2015” are to the 52 weeks ended January 30, 2016. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires that management make estimates and assumptions about future events. These estimates and assumptions affect the amounts of assets and liabilities reported, disclosures about contingent assets and liabilities, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses. Such estimates include those related to merchandise returns, the valuation of inventories, long-lived assets, intangible assets, insurance reserves, contingencies, litigation and assumptions used in the calculation of income taxes and retirement and other post-employment benefits, among others. These estimates and assumptions are based on management’s best estimates and judgments. Management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including the current economic environment, which management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Management adjusts such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates. Changes in those estimates resulting from continuing changes in the economic environment will be reflected in the financial statements in future periods. Reclassifications As a result of adopting Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes (“ASU 2015-17”) as of January 30, 2016, the Company reclassified the October 31, 2015 consolidated balance sheet resulting in a reduction of $14,546 in long-term deferred income tax assets, a reduction in current deferred income tax liabilities of $24,589 and an increase in other long-term liabilities of $10,043. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards Effective January 31, 2016, the Company adopted ASU No. 2015-03, Interest-Imputation of Interest (“ASU 2015-03”) and ASU No. 2015-15 (an amendment to ASU 2015-03) and retrospectively applied their provisions. The new standards require that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability, other than those relating to line-of-credit arrangements, be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability. As a result of adopting this guidance, as of October 31, 2015 and January 30, 2016, the Company reclassified $6,903 and $6,580, respectively, of the unamortized debt issuance costs for all debt instruments except the senior secured credit facility from other long-term assets to long-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt on the consolidated balance sheets. Effective January 31, 2016, the Company adopted ASU No. 2015-05, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software, and prospectively applied its provisions. The new standard provides guidance on the accounting for fees paid by a customer in a cloud computing arrangement. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then the customer is required to account for the software license consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. Conversely, if the arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Recently Issued Accounting Standards In August 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows: Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. The new standard provides guidance on eight targeted areas and how they are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently reviewing the guidance and assessing the potential impact on its consolidated financial statements.

1.BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation, was incorporated on January 31, 1996 as the successor of a company incorporated on January 31, 1929. As of October 29, 2016, The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. operated, through its subsidiaries, 267 stores, including nine furniture galleries and five clearance centers, in 26 states in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains under the Bon-Ton, Bergner’s, Boston Store, Carson’s, Elder-Beerman, Herberger’s and Younkers nameplates.

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (the “Parent”) and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”). All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q and do not include all information and footnotes required in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of interim periods have been included. The Company’s business is seasonal in nature and results of operations for the interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of results for the full fiscal year. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016.

For purposes of the following discussion, references to the “third quarter of 2016” and the “third quarter of 2015” are to the 13 weeks ended October 29, 2016 and October 31, 2015, respectively. References to “fiscal 2016” are to the 52 weeks ending January 28, 2017; references to “fiscal 2015” are to the 52 weeks ended January 30, 2016.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires that management make estimates and assumptions about future events. These estimates and assumptions affect the amounts of assets and liabilities reported, disclosures about contingent assets and liabilities, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses. Such estimates include those related to merchandise returns, the valuation of inventories, long-lived assets, intangible assets, insurance reserves, contingencies, litigation and assumptions used in the calculation of income taxes and retirement and other post-employment benefits, among others. These estimates and assumptions are based on management’s best estimates and judgments. Management evaluates its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors, including the current economic environment, which management believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. Management adjusts such estimates and assumptions when facts and circumstances dictate. As future events and their effects cannot be determined with precision, actual results could differ significantly from these estimates. Changes in those estimates resulting from continuing changes in the economic environment will be reflected in the financial statements in future periods.

Reclassifications

As a result of adopting Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes (“ASU 2015-17”) as of January 30, 2016, the Company reclassified the October 31, 2015 consolidated balance sheet resulting in a reduction of $14,546 in long-term deferred income tax assets, a reduction in current deferred income tax liabilities of $24,589 and an increase in other long-term liabilities of $10,043.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

Effective January 31, 2016, the Company adopted ASU No. 2015-03, Interest-Imputation of Interest (“ASU 2015-03”) and ASU No. 2015-15 (an amendment to ASU 2015-03) and retrospectively applied their provisions. The new standards require that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability, other than those relating to line-of-credit arrangements, be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability. As a result of adopting this guidance, as of October 31, 2015 and January 30, 2016, the Company reclassified $6,903 and $6,580, respectively, of the unamortized debt issuance costs for all debt instruments except the senior secured credit facility from other long-term assets to long-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt on the consolidated balance sheets.

Effective January 31, 2016, the Company adopted ASU No. 2015-05, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software, and prospectively applied its provisions. The new standard provides guidance on the accounting for fees paid by a customer in a cloud computing arrangement. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then the customer is required to account for the software license consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. Conversely, if the arrangement does not include a software license, the customer should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In August 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows: Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. The new standard provides guidance on eight targeted areas and how they are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently reviewing the guidance and assessing the potential impact on its consolidated financial statements.