Revenue from the Sale of Donations Funds Goodwill's Career Services Programs

ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Bon-Ton Goodwill Sale, a partnership between The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: BONT) and Goodwill Industries International, collected 1.2 million pounds of clothing and textiles during its first-ever holiday promotion. The donations have an estimated value of nearly $5 million in revenue and Goodwill will sell the donations in its stores to fund job training programs and community-based services, such as child care, financial education, youth mentoring, tax preparation and transportation in the communities in which Goodwill operates. The sale took place from December 6–12, 2012, at all 273 Bon-Ton stores in the Northeast, Midwest and Upper Great Plains.

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"The Goodwill Sale with Bon-Ton helps Goodwill continue to provide one-on-one career counseling and employment placement programs as well as access to a host of supportive services that enable people with disabilities and disadvantages to provide for themselves and their families," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "Goodwill's programs and services serve people with emotional and physical disabilities, people who have been unemployed for the long term, veterans and their families, youth who are at-risk for delinquency, and seniors who need additional support in retirement, enabling them to secure employment opportunities and secure a stable future. We are grateful to Bon-Ton for this long-standing cause partnership."

Donors received coupons for each item donated during the sale to use at Bon-Ton stores. Donors also had the opportunity to register their donations on the Million Acts of Goodwill website, where they could receive an exclusive 25-percent-off coupon and a chance to have their store card paid off in December.

"The Goodwill Sale at Bon-Ton is not only one of our most popular events; it provides dignity to thousands of people across the country who are in need of career advancement services," said Brendan L. Hoffman, president and chief executive officer of The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. "We are thankful to our customers and to the community for their support of our signature Goodwill Sale, which exemplifies our commitment to the communities in which we operate."

The Goodwill Sale takes place twice a year in the spring and fall. In 2012, Bon-Ton and Goodwill launched the inaugural Holiday Sale. Since 1994, the Goodwill Sale, a cause-marketing collaboration, has generated an estimated potential value of $205 million. Last year was the first year that The Goodwill sale exceeded the $200 million mark in revenue to support Goodwill's employment services.

About Goodwill Industries International:
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada with 14 affiliates in 13 other countries. Goodwill is one of the top 25 most inspiring companies (Forbes, 2012). Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 2,700 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com. Local Goodwill agencies also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation, and document imaging and shredding. In 2011, more than 4.2 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill's career services. Goodwill channels 82 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services. To find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at www.goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl or find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl.

About The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.:
The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., with corporate headquarters in York, Pennsylvania and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operates 273 department stores, which include 11 furniture galleries, in 24 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 and, in the Detroit, MI, area, under the Parisian nameplate. The stores offer a broad assortment of national and private brand fashion apparel and accessories for women, men and children, as well as cosmetics and home furnishings. The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. is an active and positive participant in the communities it serves. The Goodwill Sale event is a long-standing charitable partnership developed to support and build strong communities. For further information, please visit  http://investors.bonton.com. Follow Bon-Ton at Facebook at Bonton and Twitter @bonton.

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International