The Bon-Ton was a popular store destination on the classic radio show Fibber McGee and Molly,[3] which aired from 1935 to 1959.

These early moves set Bon-Ton's policy of growing into adjacent areas by opening new stores and acquiring existing businesses.

During the 1970s, as the popularity of shopping centers began to grow, The Bon-Ton opened 11 new stores in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

During the 1980s, the retail department store industry rapidly consolidated as major chains bought their competitors.

Two years later, the company made a major move, buying the 11-store Pomeroy's chain from Allied Department Stores.

The company continued to expand its presence in the New York metropolitan area in 1993 with a store in the Wilton Mall in Saratoga Springs in the former Addis & Dey's space.

In October 2003, The Bon-Ton expanded its reach into Ohio and the lower Midwest by acquiring the 68-store Elder-Beerman store chain.

Following an attempt to convert to a privately held company, Elder-Beerman was offered more cash for its outstanding stock as part of the buyout.

[10][11] In December 2013, Mike Nemoir, senior vice president, announced he would retire after four decades in the retail industry at Bon-Ton and its predecessor companies on March 28, 2014.

[13] In the fall of 2016, Bon-Ton launched dedicated "Close to Home" areas within 45 stores, offering carefully selected hand-picked merchandise from designers, artisans, and entrepreneurs in each market.

Analysis from Standard & Poor's downgraded the company into selective default, and predicted an out-of-court restructuring or a bankruptcy filing after the grace period.

[17] In February 2018, The Bon-Ton Stores Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with the likelihood of satisfying its long-term debt.

On April 17, 2018, however, a judge decided that the company would not be allowed to pay a $500,000 (~$597,664 in 2023) "work fee", rejecting the offer.

[20] On August 30, Great America Group said all Pennsylvania locations were officially closed, and buildings would be vacated by the next day.

[22][23] On September 6, 2018, it was reported that the purchaser was Merrillville, Indiana-based CSC Generation, a holding company backed by Chinese and American venture capital firms, which owns the membership buying service DirectBuy.

[25][26] Beauty products company L'Oréal USA successfully bid $312,900 for data on Bon-Ton's cosmetics and fragrance customers.