Bon-Ton May same-store sales down on lower traffic

Department store operator Bon-Ton Stores Inc. said Thursday that same-store sales fell 9.9 percent in May on lower traffic levels and cooler weather.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected same-store sales to drop 5 percent.

Same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, is a key indicator of retailer performance since it measures growth at existing stores rather than newly opened ones.

The company said categories with the strongest monthly performance included ladies' spring outerwear, children's and cosmetics.

Sales for the four-week period ended May 31 sagged 8.7 percent to $214.3 million.

For the year to date, same-store sales dropped 5.9 percent, while total sales declined 5.9 percent to $914.6 million.

Bon-Ton runs 280 stores in the United States, including eleven furniture galleries.